JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A local family is mourning the loss of a three-year-old child killed in a quadruple shooting at a Southside apartment complex Saturday night.
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Kae’lynn Marie Matthews’ grandmother described her as a loving little girl.
RELATED STORY: Family members identify 3-year-old girl among 3 killed in shooting at JTB apartment complex
“The grandmother is devastated. She’s still processing all of this,” AJ Jordan, with MADDADS, said. “Criminals don’t have a zip code. Criminals feel like the city belongs to them. That’s why it can happen in 32256 or 32209.”
According to Action News Jax records, there have been at least 24 kids under 18-years-old shot in Jacksonville this year. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office transparency page shows nine kids have died in gun violence locally, which makes up 10% of all Jacksonville homicide victims in 2023.
“We want our city to be safe. We want our families to be safe. We want our families to be able to go out without worrying about shootings at a bar, or an apartment complex,” Jordan said.
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan met with President Joe Biden at the White House last week to discuss violence nationally (Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan will be at the White House today – Action News Jax).
“The brand-new Office of Gun Violence Prevention will be a clearinghouse for resources on the federal level. It will also connect Jacksonville with peer cities around the country who are facing gun violence, so we can work together to identify the most effective prevention and intervention strategies,” Phil Perry, the City of Jacksonville’s Chief Communications Officer, said. “On the local level, Mayor Deegan is working with Sheriff Waters on a safe gun storage public education campaign, and her administration is putting plans together to bring back the Jacksonville Journey and address the root causes of violent crime.”
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