JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In a briefing on Thursday, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said one man is dead, and a suspect is on the loose after a Halloween night shooting in Longbranch.
JSO said around 4:30 p.m., officers were dispatched to the road across the street from the 21st Street Food Store for an unresponsive man suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
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Although JSO did not confirm the identity of the victim, family members tell Action News Jax, the man who died was 31-year-old Larry Richardson.
“I believe these killings need to stop because someone here shot him up and this is not right,” Richardson’s aunt Valerie Thomas said.
JSO detectives said the victim appeared to have died from at least one gun shot to his head.
Authorities said this appears to be isolated, and investigators are still looking for the suspect.
Thomas is demanding justice and has a message for the suspect.
“They don’t know how to talk it out,” Thomas said. “ They always have to pick up a gun. Whoever did this, you are coward from me, you are a big coward.”
Another aunt who was standing next to Richardson’s mom, but did not want to show her face on camera, is asking for people to come forward.
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“It’s her child tonight, but it could be your child tomorrow and you would want your child to speak up if it’s yours,” the aunt said off-camera. “So, if you know something, you need to talk and say something.”
The family is pleading with the community to stop the killings.
“We got to help one another, we got to come together other, we have to stop this crime,” the aunt said off-camera. “Stop killing each other, help each other. Stop all of this, this is ridiculous.”
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JSO said there were people in the area when the shooting happened, but as far as they know, there were not trick-o-treaters around the immediate area when the shooting happened.
Regarding the suspect, their identity is currently unknown with no description.
If you have any information related to the incident, JSO urges you to contact the Sheriff’s office at 904-630-0500, email JSOCRIMETIPS@JAXSHERIFF.ORG, or call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 866-845-TIPS.
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