JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A woman is dead and a man was rushed to a hospital for treatment Tuesday night after a shooting at the Amazon Fulfillment Center on Pecan Park Road, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Lt. J.D. Stronko with the Sheriff’s Office said officers were called to the warehouse shortly before 7:30 p.m. He said they found a man and woman, both of whom had been shot.
According to Stronko, the woman died at the scene and the man was taken to a hospital for treatment. His condition was unknown.
“I want to emphasize that this does not appear to be any type of active shooter incident,” Stronko said.
Stronko could not give specifics about a suspected shooter. He said it’s believed the man and woman were employees of Amazon.
RIGHT NOW: Multiple reports of shooting at Jacksonville Amazon center. A witness tells me she heard gunshots then saw two victims on the ground not far from her. Sources say 1 person dead 1 transported to the hospital. @wjxt4 https://t.co/K1A4M4h8l1 pic.twitter.com/eLzgTwMSF4
— Corley Peel (@WJXT_CorleyPeel) September 30, 2020
A woman, who works at the center and asked to remain anonymous, said she heard gunshots while she was in the cafeteria.
“It was actual gunshots, and we walked a couple steps, you see two people laid out by the stairs,” she said.
Employees were moved outside to wait in the parking lot while police investigated.
A man, who also asked not to be named, said his relative was in the building at the time.
“She was right there when he shot and security grabbed him and threw him to the ground,” the man said.
News4Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson points out that Amazon has its own security team, which he says police can use to secure the warehouse.
“They secure it one square foot at a time. They’ve got to scour that entire building,” Jefferson said. “That’s where the assistance of the internal security comes into play, to assist them with that. To escort them to areas they wouldn’t normally know where to go.”
In June, a 20-year-old man who was standing in line to apply for a job at the warehouse was shot and killed. In that incident, two other people suffered minor injuries when two suspects opened fire, Jacksonville police said.
The building is the third Amazon facility to open in Jacksonville and began operating in 2017.
A spokesperson for Amazon sent News4jax a statement. It reads,
“This is a terrible tragedy. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, and all those who have been impacted by this incident. We are working closely with the Sheriff as they investigate.”
Amazon employees who were in the building at the time of the shooting will have counseling available to them, according to the spokesperson.