JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Police are investigating a shooting that left two young men dead Sunday afternoon in Northwest Jacksonville.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said they were called about 5:25 p.m. by people who heard gunshots an apartment complex on West 36th Street, off Moncrief Road. Arriving officers found one man dead on the sidewalk with gunshot wounds.
Several minutes later, officers said they located the body of another man across the street, near Clanzel Brown Park, adding that it appeared the victim ran to the area and was shot somewhere between the apartment complex and the park area.
On Monday, JSO identified the two people found dead as Levertis Fowler, 21, and Threnton Thomas, 19. Their deaths are being investigated as homicides.
Authorities are searching for multiple suspects who they said ran from the scene.
A man who saw the shooting unfold told News4Jax he heard eight gunshots and saw a man lying face down in the park.
“I proceeded to run over there to the basketball court, and I made the 911 call,” said the man, who did not want to be identified. “I just stood there and tried to help as much as I possibly could.”
That man said he saw teenage boys running away from the scene.
Sgt. Chuck Ford said four blocks in the area would likely be blocked off for several hours as homicide detectives investigate.
“We believe there are multiple suspects, but as far as the exact number, I am not going to be able to detail that until we get a little bit more information from our eyewitnesses,” Ford said.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call law enforcement.