JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A mother is in disbelief that her eldest son is gone.
Ulysses Lynch Jr., 43, was shot and killed Feb. 8 near a Super 8 by Wyndham Jacksonville hotel on Youngerman Circle on Jacksonville’s Westside. The father of three was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said it’s unclear what led to the shooting, and no arrests have been announced.
News4JAX on Wednesday spoke with Lynch’s mother, Carlette Jefferson, who is demanding justice and hopes that police will find the person responsible for her son’s death.
“I don’t want to cry,” she said.
Jefferson fought back tears as she talked about Lynch, who she calls Nukie — a nickname she gave him at birth.
“He was a premature preemie, and I had gotten him a pacifier, and the name of it was Nookie. And I tried to wean him off, and he would holler and holler. It’s just the way he would suck on that pacifier, and I say, ‘I’m going to call you Nukie,’” she said before starting to cry. “I just miss him.”
The deadly shooting last week was one of several recent shootings in that area.
“It’s not fair, and it’s so many people been getting killed over in that area, and it’s just going to waste. It’s just like, you know, nobody cares,” Jefferson said.
For years, News4JAX has reported on violence along Youngerman Circle, just north of the Clay County line, where there are several hotels and motels.
Jefferson said the area is also a hub for drug abuse and prostitution.
She hopes her son’s passing serves as a catalyst for city leaders to start repairing and rebuilding the community.
“It needs to be cleaned up, and plus it needs to get more rehabs,” she said. “Just pay attention to the area.”
Lynch’s family plans to hold his funeral Saturday.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida online or by calling 1-866-845-TIPS (8477).