JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A teenage girl is in stable condition after being shot in the chest late Friday night in Northwest Jacksonville, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Patrol officers say they responded around 8 p.m. to Benedict Road after reports of a person shot.
Officers found the juvenile victim with a gunshot wound to the chest. She was taken to a local hospital, and her injuries were listed as non-life-threatening, JSO said.
Investigators said the victim, the juvenile male suspect and several witnesses were together near Benedict Road and Moncrief Road when the suspect pulled a gun, pointed it at the victim and fired, striking her in the chest.
Officers searched the area and recovered the firearm. The juvenile suspect stayed at the scene and was taken into custody.
JSO did not specify the ages of the victim and suspect, referring to them as a juvenile female and juvenile male in an overnight news briefing.
One neighbor News4JAX spoke with said he heard one gunshot go off last night and stepped out of his home to see a swarm of JSO deputies and cruisers along Benedict and Moncrief roads.
And after speaking to a few neighbors, they said the girl is 13 years old.
A neighbor, who requested to remain anonymous, said he heard the one gunshot go off, then moments later, he said one of his neighbors heard the young girl crying and screaming for help.
"As I walk down there, I began to see more detectives and police, I came across one of my neighbors who was a little bit more familiar with what was going on and she said that 13-year-old girl I got shot in the chest and I asked her was she okay and she said that they have her in the back of the ambulance and that they’re working on her," the neighbor said.
“She told me that she heard the gunshot too and after that she didn’t pay no attention to it because gunshots are normal here. But she also heard somebody moaning and her saying help me so she came out the front door and she saw the girl laying on the ground. She had a hole in her chest and she was saying help me help me. I’m going to die. She called 911 and she said also when she was out there she heard someone saying I’m sorry I didn’t mean to so she thought maybe it was an accidental shot and there were some kids in the park.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact JSO at 904-630-0500, email JSOCRIMETIPS@JAXSHERIFF.ORG, or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.