JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man was shot and killed Tuesday afternoon outside an Arlington laundromat, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said.
Officers responded just before 2 p.m. to a shooting at the 24 Hr Coin Laundry in a strip mall on Merrill Road at Red Oak Drive.
Police said they found a man suffering from at least one gunshot wound outside the business, toward the rear of the building. The man, who police identified as 24-year-old Quartz Walden, died at the scene.
Sky 4 video over the strip mall showed several police cruisers, a crime scene unit van and police tape surrounding the laundromat. Evidence markers could be seen near the dumpster. The medical examiner arrived about 4 p.m.
It's unclear how the shooting started or whether the victim and shooter knew each other. Detectives said they have not identified any suspects at this time.
Patrol officers stopped a vehicle leaving the scene, but it was determined they were not involved in the homicide, police said.
Police believe there could be other witnesses who left the area after the shooting and asked for those people to contact JSO.
Detectives said they will be speaking with potential witnesses who were inside the laundromat at the time and will be checking for surveillance video at any nearby businesses.
Tuesday's shooting was not far from where police said a suspected robber was shot Saturday during a holdup at MetroPCS. There was also a shootout between two groups of young men in two cars at Merrill Road and Wedgefield Boulevard in November. In that incident, one bullet hit a credit union.
Arlington resident Tameshia McDonald told News4Jax that she believes those were just isolated incidents.
"I don't feel threatened," she said.
But Haley Bostick, who lives a couple blocks away, said she's feeling uneasy after seeing two crimes scenes in the last week.
"I’m new to the area -- came here from South Florida. I want to love Jacksonville and all it’s kind of hard to, you know, when you have all this going around," Bostick said. "So I’m thinking about moving from the area soon, for sure."
Daniel and Lisa Davidson also said they're considering moving if the crime doesn't go down in their neighborhood.
"I'm about ready to move," Lisa Davidson said.
Daniel Davidson said he has even taken extra measures to protect his family because of the crime.
"I had to go get a security system. I had to buy guns," he said. "It's just got to that situation."
The JSO crime map shows there have been five armed robberies, 12 assaults, four burglaries, two motor vehicle thefts and seven vehicle break-ins reported in the last four weeks within a mile of strip mall.
According to the Sheriff's Office, it is unknown whether Tuesday's fatal shooting is related to any other crimes in the area.
The Sheriff's Office continues to investigate the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to call JSO at 904-630-0500 or email JSOCrimeTips@jaxsheriff.org. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS (8477).