Six People Shot In Incident Near Jacksonville Jaguars Stadium
Six people have been shot at a location that is blocks away from TIAA Bank Field where the Jacksonville Jaguars were hosting the Houston Texans. Three of the wounded are in critical condition at this time. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has reported that they have no suspects in custody according to the Tampa Bay Times.
As a vehicle drove down A Philip Randolph Boulevard about 12:35 p.m., shots rang out near the passenger side of the vehicle according to Ron Lendvay, Director of Investigations and Homeland Security. The vehicle was near a laundromat located near the intersection where A Philip Randolph Boulevard intersects with Pippin Street at the time. It’s unknown whether the shooter or shooters were inside or outside of the vehicle, and the number of shots fired has not been determined. They believe that there were at least two shooters and that the incident may have been gang-related. The vehicle fled down A Philip Randolph Boulevard.
Victims range in age from 20s to 70s and include five men and one woman. Action News Jax reported that five of the victims were transported to the hospital by ambulance and one by a police vehicle. One witness said a man was shot in the head and the woman in the hip. Multiple witnesses described people running out of the laundromat as the shots rang out. An image of the vehicle involved in the incident is not yet available, but officials describe it as a gray or silver sedan, possibly a Nissan Altima or Maxima.
News 4 Jax reported that the location of Sunday’s shooting is known as a high-crime area. In the wake of the shooting, the Jacksonville City Councilman who represents the district where the shooting took place, Reggie Gaffney, said he has spoken to the Sheriff’s Office about what can be done to address crime in the area in the future.
“In talking to the Sheriff’s Department, they are going to beef up patrol. Evidently, it’s not working. We have a crime issue. Every other week and every other month out there, it’s too much. I got several calls.”
The shooting did not affect the Jaguars’ Sunday game. Officers will escort fans attending the game who parked near the site of the shooting to their cars following the game.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is seeking any tips that may lead them to the location of those perpetrating the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to contact them at 904-630-0500 or JSOCrimeTips@jaxsheriff.org.
