JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A man is in the hospital suffering from several gunshot wounds after police say he was ambushed. It happened at the Oak Hammock Apartments early Wednesday afternoon.
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Action News Jax broke the news at 4 p.m. when we learned about police activity in the area.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said it appears to be an isolated incident that was targeted. Detectives say it appears to be gang-related, but it’s still under investigation. Three people have since been arrested in connection with this shooting.
“It’s bad over here,” one anonymous neighbor said.
Neighbors said they were worried for their safety after they heard gunshots go off around 2:15 p.m.
“I was watching TV, and I heard two gunshots,” the anonymous neighbor said.
But there was a lot more than that. A JSO detective said they found 44 shell casings on the ground.
Police said the victim was leaving the apartment when he was ambushed by three people, who opened fire on him
Officials said a man in his early 20s had critical injuries – he was shot four times, including in the neck, side, and leg.
Several neighbors said the crime in the area has gotten out of control, and they want it to stop.
“I think it’s ridiculous because kids were just getting out of school and all the shots,” neighbor Net Hammond said. “It’s ridiculous, like their babies – they got to come home.”
Many neighbors said with it happening during the day, they were worried for their kids who play in the area.
“It’s sad, it’s not safe,” Hammond said. “My child comes over here. She walks from these apartments to over here, so she could have been in the way, and I’m not having it.”
The suspects drove away but police eventually found them in the downtown area.
“It’s sad,” the anonymous neighbor said. “It could have been anybody that got hurt.”
JSO’s crime map shows there have been about 200 criminal reports made in the area since August. That includes anything from vandalism and theft to robberies and assaults.
“As far as the low-income apartment and the community, they should stick up and speak up,” Hammond said. “If you see something, say something.”
JSO is asking anyone with information to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 904-630-0500 or via email at jsocrimetips@jaxsheriff.org or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.
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