JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A young man died after a double shooting early Monday evening at a gas station in the Springfield area.
Sources on Wednesday identified him as 18-year-old Dari'one Flanigan, who News4Jax learned was an aspiring rapper. Social media has been flooded with messages from his family and friends who are heartbroken over his death.
Flanigan's mother said her son had big dreams. She has been posting on social media, saying her biggest fear has become a reality.
According to a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office report, police responded about 5:30 p.m. Monday to a shooting on Main Street just south of Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway.
Police learned two victims took themselves to nearby UF Health hospital. The ages and genders of the victims were redacted from the police report, but JSO records show an 18-year-old man, who sources identified as Flanigan, died.
Aggravated battery and homicide detectives were called to investigate.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the 18-year-old's death is being investigated as a murder.
Neighbors, who wished to remain anonymous due to safety concerns, told News4Jax they heard several shots that sounded like a series of popping firecrackers. One neighbor said she hit the floor of her home, praying she would not get shot.
Though multiple cameras can be seen, nearby businesses told News4Jax that they did not have video.
At last check, no arrest had been made in the case.
"You have a shooter at large somewhere and we don’t know who it is," said News4Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson. "They could be walking by as we’re doing this interview right now and we wouldn’t even know it."
It was not the first time someone had been killed at the gas station. On June 10, 2015, Tony Johnson, 25, was shot and killed in a robbery at the same gas station. Police said he met three teens for a gun sale and was shot by one of them.
Jefferson talked about why the area is known for certain types of crimes.
"It's kind of a hub for illegal activity, if you will," he said. "I’m not saying that every day, all day those things happen, but there have been many arrests on this street for prostitution and many arrests for drugs."
The Sheriff's Office did not alert the media Monday of the double shooting, but said it is looking into why that alert did not go out.
"A family member has lost a loved one. They lost a family member and the person is at large without this information being put out," Jefferson said. "It appears that JSO is not handling the investigation as they would any other investigation."
According to News4Jax records, it was the seventh time JSO did not alert the media about a homicide.