JACKSOVNILLE, Fla. — Four people, including two teens, were shot and injured early Sunday during what the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office described as a privately organized “fair after party for teens” on the city’s Eastside.
Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair managers said the after-party had nothing to do with the fair and was in no way associated with or sanctioned by them.
JSO said the shooting occurred at about 1 a.m. Saturday on A. Philip Randolph Boulevard, several blocks away from the downtown fairgrounds. They have not yet identified the shooting suspect, and no arrests have been made.
The two adults and two teens who were shot are all expected to survive their injuries. JSO said the shots were fired after a fight broke out during that “after party.”
Someone pulled out a gun and started shooting as people tried to get away. Two of the four people were shot while running, one in the leg, the other in the side.
The other two were just grazed by bullets, JSO said. All four were rushed to the hospital, but their injuries are not life-threatening, JSO says.
“It is easy for things to get out of hand, especially when we’re dealing with juveniles,” said Sgt. Richardson with the JSO Violent Crimes Unit. “So we just ask, ‘Hey parents monitor your kids.’ Know where they are at all times, and also if you see anything or you’re hearing anything that’s happening in the area, definitely give us a call and we’ll respond.”
One neighbor told Action News Jax that parents need to be more involved with their kids to prevent incidents like this.
“I don’t know what the problem is,” she said. “I don’t know why they are out there, but the parents are apparently letting them do what they want to do.”
Jake Sulner, another neighbor, said some crime is inevitable in a big city like Jacksonville, but added that police protection and security measures are key.
“You’re going to have crime in the city anyway,” Sulner said. “Every city you stay, you’re going to have crime. You just got to put protection out there to control them, that’s all.”
Fair representatives noted that there were no incidents or issues with the fair itself on Saturday night.
In a statement, they said, “Safety is our number one priority. We have a strong JSO and security presence on site and trust our partners to do what they need to do to keep our event safe so everyone can have fun.”
JSO asks anyone who may have seen or heard something to call the Sheriff’s Office at 904-630-0500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.
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