Deadly 24 hours in Jacksonville; Five shootings and two people dead in violent Thanksgiving holiday

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It’s been a violent Thanksgiving Day in Jacksonville. Over the last 24 hours, there have been five shootings where two people have died.

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“It’s very disheartening,” a resident at Villa Beauclerc Condominiums said. “The night before Thanksgiving, you know, families are preparing their meals and then all of a sudden, you know, they’re seeing this happen outside their door.”

Related Story: Person shot, group detained after shooting in Sunbeam neighborhood, JSO says

A Sunbeam neighborhood resident -- who did not want to be identified -- lives where one of Wednesday night’s homicide’s happened. In her 12-plus years living in the complex, she said shootings like this have never happened before.

“No, we have a lot of like break-ins next door just in cars, but nothing like this.”

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The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said a man was shot and killed around 10 p.m. last night inside the complex. They also confirmed the suspect fled in a vehicle. After officers tracked it down, they arrested everyone inside.

“I heard that a car followed another car and as soon as the car parked, someone came out, shot the person and got back in their car, and left,” the resident said.

She also said the complex was on lockdown during JSO’s investigation and this homicide has her extremely concerned.

Related Story: Argument leads to Thanksgiving Day shooting downtown, one man injured

“We have a lot of kids, all of our kids play together,” she said. “These kids are always outside. I mean, it’s very scary.”

The homicide in Sunbeam was one of five shootings over the past 24 hours.

On Wednesday night, JSO said a 19-year-old was shot and taken to the hospital after a shooting in Spring Park. They’re expected to be ok.

About an hour later, another person was shot and killed in the Durkeeville neighborhood.

Then on Thursday, around noon, another man was shot in downtown Jacksonville. JSO said the shooting began when two men who knew each other got into an argument before one of them shot the other in the back. The suspect fled the area. That victim is expected to be okay.

Related Story: Car sale gone wrong; One injured in shooting outside motel off Beach Boulevard

And the fifth shooting happened today just before 6 pm in Windy Hill, when a dispute over the sale of a car resulted in the buyer being shot. They’re expected to be okay.

Our Action News Jax and safety expert Dale Carson has nearly 30 years of law enforcement experience and says it’s not unusual to see an increase in violence during the holidays.

“It does provide an opportunity for a lot of stress in certain people’s lives,” Carson said. “And if they don’t have a lot of management and self-control, they can in fact result in the violence that we perhaps see in these months, nearing Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

Carson adds during the holidays, people also tend to drink more alcohol, which can also lead to problems.

JSO is still searching for the shooting suspect in four of the shootings. If you have any information, you’re asked to call JSO or remain anonymous and call CrimeStoppers.

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JSO is still searching for the shooting suspect in four of the shootings.

If you have information on any of the shootings you are asked to contact JSO at 904-630-0500. You can also contact Crime Stoppers at 888-277-TIPS (8477).

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