ORANGE PARK, Fla. – The Orange Park Police Department said one person was hospitalized after a shooting Wednesday at the Orange Park Athletic Association on Fromhart Street.
According to the Police Department, officers were dispatched to the scene at 3:46 p.m. The shooter was said to have fled the scene prior to police being called.
Police said an 18-year-old was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. Investigators said in a news release that “the shooting is isolated and stemmed from a fight between a group of males who were playing basketball at the OPAA basketball courts.”
A portion of Gano Avenue in front of the park was shut down for the investigation.
Faye Johnson said she was visiting her aunt who lives in the area.
“My grandfather, he called my aunt and told her, like, ‘Oh, there’s a shooting that happened in your neighborhood.’ So we waited for the news to come on and we looked and it was right around the corner from the house,” Johnson said.
She’s said many children, including her brothers, play basketball at the court, and she’s now worried about their safety.
“A lot of the young kids play with the older kids too so that’s what’s kind of concerning ‘cause you never know. It could have hit — bullets don’t have any names, so it could have hit anybody,” Johnson said.
The Police Department was working to obtain additional information to identify a potential suspect. They asked anyone with information to contact police at 904-264-5555 or submit an anonymous tip to First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.