JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office were sent to investigate two shootings in different parts of town Friday night, including one scene where an officer said a “gun battle” ensued.
That scene was on Ricker Road near the intersection of Melvin Road on Jacksonville’s Westside. According to Lt. York, with the Sheriff’s Office, officers were sent to the area shortly after 9 p.m.
It’s unclear how many people were involved in the shooting, but York said shots were exchanged and first responders found a man in the road unresponsive. He said the man had been shot multiple times and was rushed to a hospital with serious and life-threatening injuries.
“This is a residential area. It’s heavily traveled with pedestrian traffic and vehicular traffic. It’s a miracle that nobody else got shot,” York said. “This is a reckless and criminal behavior.”
There was no information about a possible motive.
The other scene was on Harts Road, just north of Dunn Avenue on the Northside. According to Sgt. Krueger, with the Sheriff’s Office, police were called to the scene just after 6:30 p.m.
Krueger said a “young male” was found shot and taken to a hospital for treatment. He did not have an exact age of the victim, whose injuries were described as non-life-threatening.
There was no information about the shooter in either shooting. Police asked anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS or the Sheriff’s Office at 904-630-0500.
As of Thursday, News4Jax records show there had been 56 shootings reported in Jacksonville during the month of July. Friday night’s shootings bring that number to 58.