JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two men were found shot to death early Thursday morning at a the base of a cellphone tower off Firestone Road near Morse Avenue on Jacksonville’s Westside, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
An officer at the scene said it’s unclear if the shooting was part of a robbery but both victims were found just after 6 a.m. inside a building at the base of the tower. The men, believed to be 30 to 40 years old, were AT&T subcontractors.
Each was shot multiple times in the early morning hours.
Jacksonville police said men arrived at the building about 10 p.m. Wednesday to install batteries. Detectives said they were still piecing together what happened overnight.
Another person at the scene was cooperating with the investigation. JSO said they had no suspect information.
AT&T released a statement saying: “This is a terrible tragedy and our thoughts go out their family, friends and colleagues. We are assisting the local sheriff’s department with their investigation.”
While neighbors told News4Jax the area is safe, there was an armed robbery reported at the address of that cellphone tower two nights ago. News4Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson said there’s a strong possibility the two incidents are related.
“You hate to hear and see the sort of thing happen -- not just in our city but anywhere,” Jefferson said. “You’ve got two males working on their job just trying to make a living for their families and you come across this sort of thing. It turns your stomach.”