A series of unrelated shootings saw Downtown Jacksonville Beach, Florida shut down for a number of hours while police searched for the individuals involved.
According to CNN, people in the area were urged to seek shelter after multiple shooters opened fire in the area, resulting in one death and multiple injuries. The Jacksonville Beach Police Chief, Gene Paul Smith, gave an update on the situation Monday morning at 8 a.m. The statement paints a pretty chaotic picture of the events that unfolded on St. Patrick’s Day, with three separate incidents involving guns being fired all in different areas.
The timeline of events
The first incident occurred around 7:50 p.m. with the police department having prior knowledge that a large gathering of juveniles had been organized for that evening. When officers attempted to break up the crowd, two young men shot at each other. Both were injured, and a bystander was also hit. As of right now all three are in hospital, with one of the shooters and the bystander being brought to hospital immediately. The other shooter later checked themselves into the hospital.
The second incident occurred less than 10 minutes later when a man in a ski mask fired a shot at 8:13 p.m. Nobody was hit and the gun was later found, although the suspect has yet to be brought in.
The third and final incident happened around 8:31 p.m. According to witnesses who spoke with the police officers, three men were involved in an altercation leading to weapons being brought out. Only one shot was fired, but it did lead to the death of a 21 year old individual. The two other suspects are not currently in custody.
Whilst the two suspects involved in the first shooting are known to be in hospital, ABC News reports that police are still on the hunt for three more suspects, those being the individual who fired a shot at 8:13 and the two who were involved in the fatal shooting at 8:31.