JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – The Jacksonville Beach City Council heard from more than a dozen residents Monday night who all expressed concerns about public safety after three separate shootings Sunday night prompted a lockdown of the downtown bar district.
The three shootings reported within 40 minutes disrupted a busy St. Patrick’s Day holiday that coincided with Spring Break and the end of The Players Championship in nearby Ponte Vedra Beach.
MORE: Complete coverage of Jacksonville Beach St. Patrick’s Day shootings
A 21-year-old man was killed in one of the shootings, and three people were hurt in another, including two of the shooters, police said.
The first shooting happened at 7:50 pm south of the Jacksonville Beach Pier, the second one was about 20 minutes later, a half block north on 3rd Avenue, and the third shooting was at 8:31 p.m. in the parking lot of a restaurant at the corner of 1st Street North and Beach Boulevard.
“In 26 years, the last five have been crazy in Jacksonville Beach. You guys have to do something about it. Back-to-back weekends, it’s the same issue back-to-back,” Jacksonville Beach resident Rico Nieves told the City Council.
Jacksonville Beach police said the incidents started Sunday with a planned gathering of 250-400 people in their late teens and early 20s under the pier. Jacksonville Beach Police Chief Gene Paul Smith said officers broke up the crowd because they started fighting. The first shooting happened as the crowd separated when two young men wounded each other and also hit an out-of-town bystander.
“Anybody that crosses that ditch (Intracoastal Waterway) needs to have respect for not only our businesses but our beach, our pier and our law enforcement,” Jacksonville Beach resident Jennifer Cruz said. “I want people when they come to Jacksonville Beach and they think they want to act crazy, and fight and whatever BS that they do–– they need to be respectful, and I think fearful is a healthy emotion.”
Police have not made any arrests and are looking for more than one suspected shooter, in addition to the two shooters who were wounded.
“This is not the kind of attention we want for Jax Beach, I think we can all agree on that,” Mayor Christine Hoffman said.
The City Council adjusted its agenda Monday night to talk about what happened and Hoffman shared during her opening remarks that she heard from the White House, fellow mayors and even national news outlets about the shooting. Hoffman told News4JAX earlier that the quick response of both the first responders and local businesses should reassure any visitors about the safety of Jacksonville Beach.
“I witnessed firsthand the heroism and bravery that these officers showed right as this went on. They rendered aid to the victims — all while trying to tame the crowd around them as they were antagonizing them,” Jacksonville Beach City Councilman Fernando Meza said. “It takes bravery and it takes guts. So anyone who wants to talk negative about them, come deal with me.”
Meza said emotions have been running hot throughout the community since Sunday night.
“I’ve been feeling so many types of emotions since last night: anger, disappointment, sad, disgust, heartbroken,” Meza said. “What happened last night should have never happened, but it did. Right now at this moment, with our current youth, the future does not look promising. “
During the discussion of the shooting, many council members and the city attorney talked about potential solutions to violence in the community and the legalities surrounding ordinances and moratoriums on special event permits. They also discussed finding a way to give the police department more resources in the short term.
Council members also mentioned reaching out to Councilman Rory Diamond, who represents the beaches for the city of Jacksonville, to see what help he can provide. They also mentioned reaching out to state representatives.
Copyright 2024 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.
