JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville police are looking for a shooting suspect after a violent dispute Tuesday morning led authorities to lock down two public schools nearby.
Police have identified the shooter, who took a shot at someone on White Horse Road about 9 a.m., according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. Police said things escalated when he opened fire.
No one was struck by the gunfire. But the incident triggered a massive police response as they set up a perimeter around the area while officers with rifles, K-9 units and a helicopter searched for the man.
As a precautionary measure, Duval County Public Schools placed Sandalwood High School and Alden Road Exceptional Student Center on lockdown for several hours while the search was active.
"I would think given the Duval County presence, school police and the presence of police in the area, that (the schools are) the last place he would likely go," said Sheriff's Office Lt. Shannon Hartley.
At one point, Hartley said, investigators located the man, who hid out in the woods of a neighborhood near Whispering Woods Boulevard and Whispering Woods Place. They later lost track of him.
"That ravine back there, you could hide anything back there," neighbor Rafael Canales told News4Jax, adding that he called neighbors to let them know what was going on. "Anybody could hide."
John Rogge recently purchased a home in the area, but he didn't appear to be fazed by the incident. "It kind of puts a little question mark on your face, but it happens," he said.
Incidentally, Athena Deleon is moving out of the neighborhood this week. She was frustrated she couldn't make it home at lunchtime because of Tuesday morning's events.
"I just want to come home for lunch and let my dogs out, that's all," she said. "And I don't know if I'll be able to get down there."