JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – One person was killed and three others were injured on Sunday during an “active shooter situation” in Jacksonville Beach, according to a report from our sister station WJXT.
The shooting happened in the downtown bar district during a St. Patrick’s Day celebration.
The shooting, which Jacksonville Beach Police Sgt. Tonya Tator said happened “out in the open,” was first reported around 8 p.m. Sunday.
Jacksonville Beach Police Chief Gene Paul Smith said officers tried to break up a crowd of 250-400 teenagers under the pier around 8 p.m. when the teens began to fight, WJXT reports. Smith says the agency had received a tip about the gathering and had officers assigned to the area. When the teens began fighting and engaging in boxing matches, officers went into break up the crowd.
Smith said as the crowd separated, two young men shot at each other on the boardwalk near the Best Western. Both were wounded and an innocent bystander was also hit.
All three were seriously injured but were listed as stable Monday morning.
One of the shooters ran off but later showed up at a hospital with a gunshot wound. Smith said the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has listed the shooter as a “certified gang member.”
The second incident happened around 8:13 p.m. when a man in a ski mask was seen running past a bar and shooting a gun. No one was injured and police later found the gun, according to WJXT.
“At this time, I decided, based on multiple shooters unknown, based on victims unknown, to issue an active threat alert, to lock down all bars and immediately evacuate the downtown area, because of the unknown circumstances of the shooter,” Smith said.
The third shooting happened just after 8:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Sneakers Bar and Grille. Witnesses told investigators that three men involved in a “disturbance” pulled out weapons, and a 21-year-old man died at the scene.
None of the shooters involved in Sunday night’s incidents are in custody.
A lockdown in the area was lifted around 11 p.m. and based on accounts from witnesses, it appears the shooting involved multiple scenes a few blocks apart, including one in the parking lot of Sneakers Sports Grille and another on the boardwalk near SALT, according to WJXT.
Law enforcement agencies have been on alert across the state with spring break underway. Earlier this month, Gov. DeSantis said 17 law enforcement agencies had requested extra Florida Highway Patrol troopers to help patrol their communities because of spring breakers. The Jacksonville Beach Police Department was not one of them.
Jacksonville Beach police posted a compilation of videos on their Instagram account, which includes user videos, city surveillance, and video surveillance from businesses. These videos are being used as part of their investigation.
If you have any information that can help Jacksonville Beach police, call 904-270-1661.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: