‘He was loved:’ Fundraiser held for local father gunned down in San Marco

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — At Bottlenose Brewing, mug member #27 will always be remembered.

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30-year-old Austin Fitzgerald was a local father murdered and while police quickly made an arrest in the case, the journey for his family and loved ones is far from over.

Now, for the first time, Action News Jax is hearing from the mother of his 2-year-old son.

“Nothing can change what happened and I’ll make sure he’s (Myles) taken care of but he has no reason to be growing up without a father right now,” Jacqueline James said.

ORIGINAL STORY: JSO: Person shot to death in San Marco, several people detained

Fitzgerald was honored at Bottlenose Brewing on Monday night, where over 70 people showed up on the Southside for a fundraiser to support the family. 100 percent of tips and sales went to the young family he left behind, and while the mother of his son told Action News Jax they’re grateful, it’s not about the money, it’s about the love.

“It warms my heart to see how much love is out there for him because he was a loveable guy,” James said. “Money is nothing in aspect of the love, I want Myles to know he was loved, his daddy was loved.”

Loved ones said Fitzgerald was someone who could light up a room with his smile and was most proud to be a dad to his son, Myles.

“Loved his baby more than anything in life. Looked forward to any milestones from the minute we had him,” James said.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says the local father was shot to death in San Marco in January after an argument involving a woman.

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It’s something James said is still hard to process for her and their son.

“Every day we sing our daddy song when we go goodnight. We look at a picture of daddy and give him a kiss,’” she said.

The fundraiser was put together by several former bartenders and close friends like Andrew Turn, who served as guest bartenders for the event.

RELATED: ‘Lots of laughs, smiling:’ Friends said father shot to death in San Marco will never be forgotten

“It just felt right to have it here, there’s not a person here who doesn’t know him and doesn’t love him,” he said.

Bottlenose Brewing operations manager, Kevin Rummings and owner, Brian Spooner, said it’s a way to help during a difficult time.

“All proceeds go to Jacqueline because that’s the only thing to do,” Rummings said.

“Being able to recognize someone who came here a lot, someone who was a loyal customer, this is our opportunity to show our loyalty back to him and his family,” Spooner said.

For James and their son, they’re grieving life without Fitzgerald one day at a time.

“To have that ripped away, there’s nothing easy about it. Now I have to navigate a life alone and have to be a mother and a father,” she said. “Him (Myles) getting through it okay is making it easier for me to pick up my slack and continue on.”

In three hours, roughly $3,050 was raised for James and their son, Myles.

RELATED: Man arrested for murder of another man in weekend San Marco shooting, Jacksonville police say

Thirty-six-year-old Luis Roces is facing a 2nd-degree murder charge and is currently held without bond at the Duval County jail. His next court date is set for February 29.

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