JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 14-year-old girl is in critical condition after being shot in the chest at an apartment complex on Jacksonville's Northside, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
Police are investigating the shooting, which happened around 1:20 p.m. at the recently renamed Canopy Creek apartments off Harts Road north of Dunn Avenue just east of Interstate 95.
Police said the girl, who was not identified, was taken to UF Health in critical condition.
Sgt. Jay Farhat said investigators are working three separate crime scenes: one where the victim was found in the back of the apartment complex, one where a firearm was recovered and one where they took a person of interest into custody.
Farhat said police believe the person of interest has information about the shooting. Witnesses pointed police to the male suspect, but it's unclear how involved he was in the shooting. He was found running away from the scene, Farhat said.
"We haven't even gotten a chance to interview that individual. That is going to be going on here very shortly, and then hopefully we'll have a better understanding of what occurred," Farhat said. "Early indications are that there was one person that was involved. Hopefully, this is the person, and if so, then we should have a lot more understanding of what occurred."
Although it’s still early in the investigation, police think the victim and the shooter might have known each other, Farhat said.
Farhat said police are not sure if the victim lives at the apartment complex, but they believe she has family there.
He said there is no immediate danger to the people at the apartment complex.
News4Jax took a look at recent crime in the area, using JSO's crime-mapping tool.
In the last 90 days, within a half-mile radius of the apartment complex there have been 10 burglaries, five assaults, one intimidation and one murder.
"I've been riding up and down Harts Road for a long time, and I've never seen anything like this," Zhavon Baily said.
Baily, 16, lives in the area and was at the park with other teens when the incident took place Monday. He, along with other residents News4Jax spoke to, said even though the incident was isolated, he plans to be more careful.
"I'll be more aware of my surroundings at nighttime," he said.
Police did not release any details about the person of interest in custody.