JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FL - Tragedy struck the St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Jacksonville Beach, Florida when a gunman opened fire in the bustling beachfront Bar District, leaving one person dead and two others injured. Two other separate shootings were also later reported from the same area.
Since the shootings, police have announced that they were monitoring what they called "organized fights," adding that they were tracking "several events."
The deadly incident, which was the third shooting of the evening, occurred around 8:31 p.m. Eyewitnesses reported hearing approximately 10 gunshots ring out amidst the lively downtown scene, sparking chaos and panic among the crowd. In a desperate bid to escape the violence, hundreds of people fled onto the nearby sands, seeking refuge from the unfolding mayhem.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=400558292687418
The first shooting happened around 7:50 p.m. During that incident, two people were shooting at each other and both were hit. A third bystander was also shot and taken to a local hospital.
The second shooting was a man running around firing gunshots around 8:13 p.m. Due to increased police presence, an officer witnessed the shots being fired and chased the suspect, who got away.
No suspects have been arrested for any of these events.
Sergeant Tonya Tator of the Jacksonville Beach Police confirmed that the deadly shooting took place in the open, rather than inside a bar. The motive behind the violence appears to be related to these planned fights.
Monday morning, Police Chief Gene Paul Smith held a press conference on the shooting, saying, "This group engage in boxing matches, fights, and Jacksonville Beach police had to take action and disperse the crowd. When the crowds were dispersed, that's when the shootings happened. I cannot emphasize the chaotic nature of the incident last night."
In response to the heightened security concerns, authorities across the state of Florida have implemented additional measures to ensure public safety.
As investigations into the shootings continue, law enforcement officials are urging anyone with information to come forward and assist in the apprehension of the suspects.
“We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us to figure out everything, to put all the pieces together. So, we’re just asking that if anybody sees anything, hears anything, knows of someone that was involved to please” call the police department, Sergeant Tator said.
Since the shootings, police have announced that they were monitoring what they called "organized fights," adding that they were tracking "several events."
The deadly incident, which was the third shooting of the evening, occurred around 8:31 p.m. Eyewitnesses reported hearing approximately 10 gunshots ring out amidst the lively downtown scene, sparking chaos and panic among the crowd. In a desperate bid to escape the violence, hundreds of people fled onto the nearby sands, seeking refuge from the unfolding mayhem.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=400558292687418
The first shooting happened around 7:50 p.m. During that incident, two people were shooting at each other and both were hit. A third bystander was also shot and taken to a local hospital.
The second shooting was a man running around firing gunshots around 8:13 p.m. Due to increased police presence, an officer witnessed the shots being fired and chased the suspect, who got away.
No suspects have been arrested for any of these events.
Sergeant Tonya Tator of the Jacksonville Beach Police confirmed that the deadly shooting took place in the open, rather than inside a bar. The motive behind the violence appears to be related to these planned fights.
Monday morning, Police Chief Gene Paul Smith held a press conference on the shooting, saying, "This group engage in boxing matches, fights, and Jacksonville Beach police had to take action and disperse the crowd. When the crowds were dispersed, that's when the shootings happened. I cannot emphasize the chaotic nature of the incident last night."
In response to the heightened security concerns, authorities across the state of Florida have implemented additional measures to ensure public safety.
As investigations into the shootings continue, law enforcement officials are urging anyone with information to come forward and assist in the apprehension of the suspects.
“We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us to figure out everything, to put all the pieces together. So, we’re just asking that if anybody sees anything, hears anything, knows of someone that was involved to please” call the police department, Sergeant Tator said.
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2024-03-25T03:31-0500 | Comment by: Christopher
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