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Man killed, woman critically wounded in home on West 1st Street, police say

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man was found shot dead and a woman critically wounded Sunday inside a home on West 1st Street, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

Sgt. Chuck Ford, with JSO, said it happened around 8:40 a.m. in a home at the corner of West 1st Street and Line Street.

He said the woman who survived was able to speak with police briefly before being rushed to a hospital with life-threatening wounds. Both victims are adults.

Police have not released the name of the man who was killed, but the mother of the man's two children identified him as 42-year-old Garvin Owensby Jr. She said Owensby was a tattoo artist who recently returned to Jacksonville from Virginia.

JSO homicide detectives were working with the State Attorney's Office to secure a search warrant for the house.

Ford said neither victim owned the home and officers are trying to reach the owner who does not live in town.

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"We don't know if more people were in the house or who was supposed to be there," Ford said. "We have been talking with neighbors and hope surveillance cameras may assist in the case."

Homer Scott has lived in the neighborhood for 63 years.

"The girl came to the next door neighbor (saying she was) shot. I wouldn’t have known anybody was hurt. I get up every morning and open the church up at 9:30. So, I figured it’s like this all the time. I didn’t know someone had been shot and been there for a minute or two," Scott said.

He said the couple was renting the home. He didn't know them well but had recently mowed their lawn.

"It shocked me," Scott said.

There have been six shootings in Jacksonville within the last 48 hours and people who live where the latest killing occurred are hoping for resolutions to the violence.

Ford said JSO has been dealing with several homicide cases this weekend and will continue to work the cases until they are solved, but he said they need the community's help.

"Whatever you can do to help us solve these crimes, please call us or call Crime Stoppers," Ford said.

Anyone with information on this double shooting or any of the other fatal shootings being investigated is urged to call JSO at 904-630-0500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS (8477).   

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified a woman who spoke with News4Jax as Garvin Owensby's mother. She is, in fact, the mother of Owensby's children. News4Jax regrets the error.


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