JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man is dead after a shooting Wednesday night at a Northside home where there were children present, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said.
Officers said the shooting happened around 11:30 p.m. inside a home on Sandle Drive in Devinston housing development in the Forest Trails area.
JSO Sgt. Edwin Cayenne said there were several people inside at the time, including children ranging from 4 years old to young teenagers. Cayenne didn’t say exactly how many people were inside but added that they are all being interviewed. A child protection team was brought in since children witnessed the shooting.
It’s unclear what led up to the shooting and why it happened. Investigators were at the scene for more than 11 hours. During the investigation, a black Mercedes-Benz vehicle was towed away from the scene.
#BreakingNews: @JSOPIO is investigating a shooting on Sandle Drive in the Devinston development on Jax’s north side. We expect to hear from police at 5 a.m. @wjxt4 pic.twitter.com/SGZbrJbdNx
— Aaron Farrar (@aaronfarrarNews) August 4, 2022
News4JAX on Thursday spoke with Reginald Dixon, who has lived here in the Devinston housing development for four years.
“It’s just sad, man,” Dixon said. “This is a nice neighborhood, and unfortunately, I believe this is the second time something like this has happened this year. I say prayers for the family and the kids that were in there, and hopefully, we can do better. We have security here, so hopefully, in the future, this does not happen again.”
According to JSO’s transparency data website that tracks homicides and murders in Duval County, police investigated a homicide in the development on Jan. 30.
Police said that they are still looking for the shooter and that it was not immediately known whether the person drove away from the house or ran.
Police said surveillance video will play a large role in the investigation into Wednesday evening’s deadly shooting. They are asking neighbors in the area to check home video cameras for possible evidence.
If you saw anything or have any information, you are asked to contact the JSO non-emergency number 904-630-0500 or First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS (8477).