Violent week of crime in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Between Sept. 27 and Oct. 4, JSO responded to 14 shootings in Jacksonville that left six people dead.

The youngest victim is an unborn baby who died when the child’s mother was shot in the stomach while she was sleeping.

Jacksonville is experiencing an uptick in murder. In 2020, 113 murders have taken place compared to 94 this time last year.

Council member Rory Diamond said the staggering violent crime numbers are a concern for him and the council.

“There is no sugar coating it. Crime is on the rise. it is a huge problem. I think our focus needs to be on immediately solving as much as we can and having a long-term strategy to bring it down overall,” Diamond said in a phone interview.

According to a new report by the Council on Criminal Justice, homicide rates were up 53% compared to 2019 across 27 cities.

According to the FBI, in the first half of 2020, murders were up 15% nationwide.

Cox Media Group