ORANGE PARK, Fla. – A 17-year-old was shot and killed over the weekend in a neighborhood just west of the town of Orange Park.
This is the latest violent incident to happen in the area. In November, a 13-year-old was killed in a stabbing in the Grove Park neighborhood not far away.
News4JAX has also documented major drug issues on nearby Wells Road and large homeless camps along Blanding Boulevard.
On Tuesday, News4JAX went to Clay County leadership about the issues. Clay County Commissioner Jim Renninger represents the Orange Park area, including Grove Park.
“The constituents grew up in Grove Park area and they see the degrading. It’s like with any physical structure. It will degrade a little bit, and we’re trying to refresh that area,” Renninger said.
County leaders have been making moves to improve the area, with the commission drafting a resolution to put more money into the area.
“It’s forefront of our vision of things to do in Clay County. We’re going to address it through a multitude of sources. We’re looking at federal, state and local. We have our state legislators all on board,” Renninger said.
In the case of the deadly shooting of the 17-year-old, two other 17-year-olds are facing charges. According to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, more charges could be filed.