PALATKA, Fla. – Two shootings in Palatka left four people injured on Monday, according to the police department.
One shooting happened early Monday morning at a church parking lot on the corner of Reid and Ida streets. Two people were shot. One was taken to the hospital, and the other transported themselves.
Hours later, more gun violence erupted in a parking lot near the intersection of Reid and 19th streets, which is about two miles from the first shooting.
Police said a 21-year-old man was shot in the head, and a 22-year-old man was shot in the shoulder. Both were taken to the hospital, but the 21-year-old was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition.
Police said the shootings were related, but Assistant Palatka Police Chief Matt Newcomb did not give details about the first shooting or how it related to the second shooting.
Vaughn Young, a Palatka resident, did not see what happened but said he could hear it.
“It was gunshots,” Young said. “One dude lying on the ground.”
Law enforcement sources told New4JAX that the hospital in Palatka went on lockdown as a precautionary measure two times following the arrival of the gunshot victims.
The events leading up to both shootings remain unclear.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office was assisting with the investigation.