JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man accused of murder pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Thursday morning in connection to what detectives believe was part of a $20,000 gang bounty shooting that killed two men in Jacksonville’s Northside in October.
Ju’Quan Mills, 22, is being accused of the murder of two men who were shot and killed in a car on Kylan Drive off Moncrief Road on Oct. 6 just before midnight.
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According to an arrest warrant, the double murder was part of a $20,000 gang hit.
One of the men who was found shot in the backseat of the Mini Cooper was identified as Antonio Tillie Jr., 19.
The Uber driver was found shot to death in the front seat. He was identified as Bryant Grund, 31.
“He’s caught literally in the middle of this $20K hit, unbeknownst to him,” said former JSO director Tom Hackney, a long-time homicide detective.
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Diamond Harris, 23, who is Mills’ girlfriend, was also arrested in connection with this shooting.
When she got arrested, Harris was charged with accessory after that fact. However, as of Thursday the court portal shows Harris is facing two counts of second-degree murder.
Detectives believe Harris lured Tillie Jr., who thought he was meeting her for a date. Investigators accuse Mills of killing Tillie instead, collecting half of the bounty — $10,000.
Investigators said Tillie and Harris were communicating on Instagram and through several text messages and phone calls. Police said she denied providing Tillie with the incident location and said she did not speak with him around the time of the murder.
Police wrote they’ve identified another suspect involved in the murder, but they’re still trying to track them down.
Harris is expected to appear in court later this month.