JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The sound of gunfire is what Frank Sanabria said he woke up to Sunday morning.
“I was laying in bed when we heard the shots. The shots are pretty common in this neighborhood. The joke around the house is that it’s always fireworks but it was not fireworks this time.”
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When he saw flashes of red and blue, he knew it was serious.
“It wasn’t until I saw the lights from outside the window that I knew that this was a different shooting than what normally occurs in here,” said Sanabria.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, officers responded to a shooting at the Downtown East Apartments on Franklin Street around 12:30 a.m. Officers found the body of a man believed to be in his 30s in the parking lot. Neighbors said they heard between seven to eight gunshots.
News4JAX records show it was the 21st homicide in Duval County in 2022.
Neighbors said crime is an issue on the eastside.
JSO’s crime map shows 67 crimes have been reported within a mile of the Downtown East Apartment in the past month, including burglary, armed robbery, assaults, car break-ins or thefts.
“I hate that it happens here and it’s unfortunate because of the amount of shootings and the amount of times that I see emergency and first responders,” said Sanabria.
The eastside is one of the first areas that Cure Violence focused on.
Since the crime reduction program was implemented, only two homicides were reported on the eastside in 2021. Sunday’s homicide marks the first homicide on the eastside for 2022. Sanabria said it’s one homicide too many.
No arrests have been made at this time. If you have any information you are urged to call JSO or Crimestoppers.