JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Gun violence continues to claim lives in the River City. With nearly three months remaining in the year, Jacksonville is on pace to see the murder count climb above 100 people.
Just over the weekend, four people lost their lives to senseless gun violence, including a 3-year-old child. Prior to this weekend’s shootings, there were 85 murders in the city -- that number is now at 89, according to News4JAX records.
In a Saturday night shooting at a Southside apartment complex, three of four people were killed, which included a 23-year-old and a 24-year-old man. The youngest victim was 3-year-old Kae’Lynn Matthews.
On Sunday morning, police said a man was found dead inside an apartment on Beach Boulevard. Neither shooting was related and no suspects have been identified nor arrested in either case.
There have been 11 homicide cases in the last two weeks with only three arrests, according to records. Retired JSO Director Tom Hackney said arresting suspects is important.
“The idea behind these murder investigations is not just to make an arrest or solve the case but successful prosecution and somebody going to jail for doing these crimes,” he said.
In 2022, there were 133 murders in the city, records show. So far, there have been 89 murders but that number might increase because JSO is still investigating homicides to see if they meet the criteria to be classified as murders.
Overall, according to records, 282 people have been shot this year so far.