JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is working to make an arrest after a 21-year-old man was fatally shot at a Jacksonville apartment complex Monday night in the Holiday Hill neighborhood.
Family members told News4JAX the name of the man who was killed at the Shore House Apartments is Joshua Holmes. Roderick Holmes, his cousin, said Joshua was the father of a 2-year-old and had a bright future ahead.
JSO said he was in an SUV when someone walked up to him, firing shots.
Roderick Holmes works at a hospital — specifically, the hospital where Joshua was transported.
“We got a trauma yesterday, and I go down thinking I’m just going to deal with a regular trauma because I work here in a surgery center and turns out, I found out it’s my cousin,” Roderick Holmes said.
He said his cousin always kept everyone laughing and went out of his way to help others. The 21-year-old also loved sports and music.
“He was a great artist,” Roderick Holmes said. “We all believed in him and we all knew any day now that he was ready to make his big break. He was a rapper. He made great music.”
It remains unclear what led to the shooting and no arrests had been announced as of Tuesday evening.
“Josh was full of love. That’s one thing I know for a fact. I know for a fact any human being he came across with — anybody who met Joshua, you became his friend instantly,” Roderick Holmes said.
When asked if he had anything to tell the shooter, Roderick Holmes replied:
“My message would be: There has to be a better way. I don’t know what the situation is, why, but taking someone’s life is never OK.”