JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — UPDATED 12:40 p.m.- DoorDash confirmed with Action News Jax that James Barron was working for the company at the time and that he was shot during a delivery. The company provided us with the following statement:
“We are saddened by this tragedy and our hearts go out to the victim’s family. We hope those responsible for this terrible crime are brought to justice and we stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation to the fullest extent.”
ORIGINAL STORY
A father of six was shot and killed while delivering food with his daughter in the Longbranch neighborhood in November, according to the crime-fighting nonprofit MAD DADS.
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The organization said someone came up to the car, telling the man and his daughter to get out, before opening fire. The duo had been making a delivery at Sanctuary Apartments just before midnight.
Action News Jax received video of a white sedan with its windows shot out, surrounded by police tape that night.
According to a police report, the officer “observed a white Ford Mustang, still in drive with the wheels spinning, crashed into the building.”
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The victim was identified as James Barron, 37, and JFRD pronounced him dead at the scene.
“Can you imagine how they’re doing? They’re not doing good. You’ve got Christmas coming up. You’ve got gifts under the tree. And dad won’t be there to open them,” AJ Jordan, with MAD DADS, said. “If you don’t feel safe, don’t do it. Because we want you to come back home to your family. We want you to be safe while you’re working.”
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office could not comment on a motive for the shooting or confirm whether Barron was delivering food, but said investigators are still looking for a suspect and anyone with information is asked to call the police.
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“Know your surroundings. If it doesn’t feel good going into an area, don’t go. Go with your gut instinct and turn around,” Jordan said.
Florida laws protect residents’ right to bear arms inside cars for self-protection. However, several ride-share and delivery apps have policies preventing drivers and passengers from having a gun in the car.
Uber and Lyft both have policies against firearms, but Grubhub and DoorDash do not. Action News Jax’s law and safety expert Dale Carson — who has years of experience as a criminal defense attorney — said these companies can make their own rules because they are private.
“If you work for a company and they have a policy that you can’t have a gun. You can’t have a gun. If they have a policy that a passenger, that they can’t have a gun — they can’t have a gun either,” he said.
