JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Police are still trying to find out who shot and killed a 16-year-old boy in Northwest Jacksonville not far from the Grand Park area.
Police said the victim was Southside resident Thomas Peterson Jr.
The shooting was reported Saturday afternoon at the intersection of Spires Avenue and 11th Street West.
Police said someone driving a four-door Honda took Peterson to UF Health Hospital, where he later died. Detectives took the Honda from the hospital for evidence.
A few neighbors near where the shooting was reported said they heard the gunshots and saw several teenagers running from the intersection, but they said after that, they went inside because they didn’t want to get hurt.
Officers showed up not long after and started looking for evidence.
“I was home in my room and my kids were in the living room,” said a woman who asked to be identified only as Simone. “I heard gunshots, and they were really loud, so when I jumped up and came into my living room to check on my kids, they were on the ground.”
Simone said that when she checked outside, no one was there, but she recognized the sound of gunshots, and knows the devastation they could cause.
“(Bullets) do travel, and I was very nervous of that,” she said. “That's why I jumped up so quick and came to check on the kids, to make sure they were safe.”
Other neighbors nearby said that after they heard the gunshots, a group of teens ran down 11th Street. The area where the shooting happened is three blocks south of James Weldon Johnson, and two blocks north of two elementary schools, so there are many children living in the area.
News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said people in the neighborhood need to speak up if they saw the shooter or know anything about the crime.
“Some people think, 'Well, if I can't tell them exactly who is involved, then I don't have valuable information,'” Smith said. “Anything that you know at all, anything that you may have seen, could be very valuable to the police.”
Simone said she has three young children herself, and she can’t imagine losing one.
“It's really sad, and I feel bad for the family,” Simone said. “I did reach out to them on Facebook to let them know how sorry I was and they have my prayers and blessings. Hopefully they get through this.”
Anyone with any information about the shooting is asked to call the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.