JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — UPDATE: Family of Jacksonville man shot, killed celebrating 4th of July pleading for answers
New video shows what appears to be a fight involving the man who was shot and killed during Fourth of July celebrations.
Family members tell us he's the one in the video wearing American flag shorts.
Moments after the video was taken, they say 23-year-old Glen McNeil Jr. was shot near the Seawalk Pavilion early Wednesday morning.
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McNeil died at the hospital. Another man was hurt in the shooting but is expected to be OK.
The shooting happened around 1 a.m. when many people were still out celebrating Independence Day.
Musician Joe Verseput was inside a nearby bar when the shooting happened.
“People are processing. One of my friends looked like a ghost. A couple of people are pretty shaken,” Verseput said.
The evidence markers and crime scene tape are now gone but the investigation has only just begun.
“My heart just fell for the family and our reputation out here, actually, you know,” Jacksonville Beach resident Melissa Mohr said.
A reputation Mayor Charlie Latham and many who live in Jacksonville Beach want to preserve. Latham said the violence has got to stop, and this is not the message about the city he wants to send.
“It's frustrating for us, too, and we hate to see things evolve. And I said we can't legislate behavior, but we can be as preventative as possible,” Latham said.
Back in 2013, a brawl broke out on Memorial Day, prompting leaders to take a deeper look at security. Latham blames much of the problem on alcohol.
“The vast majority of our service calls for our police department downtown after 10, 11 o'clock at night, they're in the downtown area in what we call the central business district, and they involve alcohol,” Latham said.
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He said they will be reaching out to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives agency to figure out ways to address the issue.
“We've got some good actors and bad actors downtown, and that includes bars and patrons,” Latham said.
Meanwhile he has this message for locals and visitors.
“I can assure you that we continue to work diligently to provide the safest possible environment,” Latham said.
Latham said he rides with police every month or so from Saturday night into Sunday morning, so he sees firsthand much of what goes on in the city.
Cox Media Group
