JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – At least one gunshot was fired just two blocks away from Jefferson Davis Middle School on the city's Westside Thursday afternoon and a stray bullet struck a window of the school, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
Four students have minor injuries from the broken glass, police said.
About 3 p.m., the Sheriff's Office was called to the school on Melvin Road to assist school board police with the investigation.
Investigators said the gunshots were fired about 750 feet away from the school, but the school was not the intended target.
Both Jefferson Davis Middle School and nearby Oak Hill Elementary School were placed on code red lockdowns, the Duval County School District said. The lockdowns were lifted within about 30 minutes.
Students said they were told to hide under their desks and keep quiet during the lockdown.
"They had called for a code red. And we had to get under the desk," student Darren Johnson said. "They were telling everybody to be quiet and not to make noise."
Students said those few minutes were terrifying.
"They told us to sit down, don't say anything, don't talk. But we weren't really listening because we were all panicking. They wouldn't let us call anyone or use our phones," student Deondre Fountain said. "I don't want to go to this school anymore if it's crazy like this. People shooting windows. That's crazy, all this stuff going on. That could have easily been a student and these people don't understand it. They have no respect and no means for human life. It's just crazy"
The School District released the following statement about the incident:
"Jefferson Davis Middle School was placed on a Code Red status just prior to dismissal due to gun shots occurring near its campus, and a stray bullet that shattered a classroom window, according to law enforcement. In addition, Oak Hill Elementary School was also placed on a Code Red as a precautionary measure as the school is situated near the Jefferson Davis Middle School campus. Thankfully, no students or staff were seriously injured during this incident. Duval County Public Schools takes all threats seriously, will work closely with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office during this investigation, and asks the surrounding community to provide any information regarding this incident to law enforcement."
The window pane that shattered has since been replaced.
Gil Smith, News4Jax crime and safety analyst, said school resource officers handled the situation well.
"They're not necessarily concerned immediately with getting the person who did this shooting. (Their) first priority is to keep the kids safe," Smith said. "To see a bullet, and hear the glass shattering, actually some of the students being hit by the shattered glass, it had to be terrifying for the teacher and the students."
Smith said the shooting could likely be tied to gang activity in the area.
"I don't think anyone here was a target because of the angle. It was shot at the window, up so high, so obviously someone on the ground was not targeted," Smith said. "Gang members don't always go to target practice. They aren't always proficient with weapons. They pull the trigger, sometimes it goes just anywhere. More than likely, someone at the school was not the target."
Over the last few years, Smith said, JSO has stepped up its patrol in the area.
"It's very important to try and catch these people. They shot into a middle school, where you have innocent kids that have nothing to do with what's going on out here. So it's very important that they track down the people (who) did this."
He said in order to do that, community members need to speak up and tell police what they know.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.