JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On Thursday, members of the Jacksonville City Council plan to address violence in the city’s 7th district during a town hall meeting.
District 7 contains the city’s Northside, Northwest Jacksonville, Eastside and downtown areas. Council President Sam Newby and Councilman Reggie Gaffney will host the forum on crime and plan to announce two new initiatives during the meeting. The meeting will be held at Oceanway Baptist Church.
In the past two weeks, six teenagers have been reportedly shot in the Oceanway neighborhood, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. One was killed.
On Monday, News4JAX obtained a 911 call made by one of the teenagers who was shot. Investigators said a car fled the area of Duval Station and Starratt roads, and that the driver drove to a residence on Lanier Road before someone called 911.
- Dispatch: “Is it a house or apartment?”
- Caller: “House. We got shot.”
- Dispatch: “Alright, we got them started.”
Less than 12 hours after the deadly shooting in the neighborhood Tuesday, a home was shot up on Deersong Drive, police said. At least 11 bullet holes were visible in the front door, windows and walls.
Neighbors shared surveillance video that morning at about 2:40 a.m. on March 9.
An incident report reveals that police said there were six people in the home at the time, and one woman told police she heard the gunshots and told others inside to lie down on the floor and get under their beds.
Less than an hour after this incident, shots were reportedly fired not far away at the Canopy Place Apartments.
An incident report obtained by News4JAX says one woman woke up the next morning and saw her car had a flat tire at the complex.
The document states that a maintenance crew helping her out said: “I’m not worried about your tire. I’m looking at the bullet holes in your trunk.”
The crime scene unit advised that they found what appeared to be six bullet holes from a rifle in the car.
“It’s concerning,” said Edward Turner, who lives at the apartment complex. “I’ve got to try to move.”
A week prior to Tuesday’s deadly shooting, a 16-year-old was wounded in a parking lot at an address on Duval Station Road -- not far from First Coast High School.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has not confirmed whether the shootings are in some way connected.