A 32-year-old father of eight was shot and killed Thursday on Fleming Street, which is east of McDuff Avenue South.
Aaron Deon Cogdell was shot to death around 1:30 a.m. Thursday near a home, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said.
"It appears there was some type of gunfire exchange and one male was deceased," said Sgt. Craig Waldrup. "It appears he was by himself, but we're still working on it. It's still early in the investigation."
Family members said Cogdell had just gotten back to the house when shots were fired. He died at the scene.
A friend told News4Jax Cogdell was devoted to his children.
"He was passionate about his kids, so I know they're devastated about what happened," Marcus Weeks said. "Man, I am sorry man. Rest in peace, man."
Weeks, who knew Cogdell most of his life, said he's upset by the violence.
"Something has to give for our kids to have a better life," Weeks said. "We shouldn't have to lock our kids up and not have them come out and play because we're worried about someone coming and shooting up a neighborhood."
Weeks said he last saw Cogdell three days ago.
"Right around here three days ago we sat and talked maybe 10, 15 minutes, you know?" Weeks said. "I left and went to my mother's house and told him I was coming back, and I never came back."
Cogdell's background includes previous drug arrests. The most recent was in 2012.
No suspect information was available and police went door-to-door to find any information on the shooting.
"I don't know the area specially, but it's not typically an area we have a lot of violent crime like this. However, you just never know where it's going to pop up. We're telling the neighborhood to be safe, but we'll put out a description as soon as we have one," Waldrup said.
Weeks just wants someone to help catch the killer.
"If y'all know anything man, not with just this murder but with any murder, y'all come forward," Weeks said.
News4Jax looked into JSO's crime map and found that in the past year, Fleming Street had:
- 38 simple and aggravated assaults
- 10 residential burglaries
- 8 robberies
- 7 commercial burglaries
- 5 vehicle burglaries
- 2 carjackings
- 1 commercial robbery
Anyone with information about Thursday's shooting is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.
