Jacksonville council member calls for shutdown of Northside motel after deadly shooting

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Councilman Reggie Gaffney, District 7, has called for the shutdown of a Northside motel, following a recent deadly shooting on the property.

“I want it shut down,” Gaffney said.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said a man was shot and killed in the 10800 block of Harts Road Thursday night.

Action News Jax told you in 2020 that Gold Rush Inn had its license pulled by the state back in 2020 due to shootings and acts of violence.

The motel on Harts Road, formerly known as Gold Rush Inn, reopened two weeks ago under new leadership: Home 1 Great Stay.

RELATED: State revokes license, Gold Rush Inn closed on Jacksonville’s Northside

“About a year and a half ago, we were able to close Gold Rush Inn down because of eight individuals that got killed within one year,” Gaffney said.

The Chief Operating Officer of the Home 1 Great Stay told Action News Jax that his team only has 10 rooms rented out, and they have put over $2 million dollars into the property.

He said the goal is to turn things around, so it doesn’t revert to what the Gold Rush Inn was.

Gaffney said the most recent killing is what prompted him to call a press conference Friday afternoon.

“My heart goes out to the individual who got shot last night,” Gaffney said.

Gaffney called the Gold Rush Inn a hotspot for crime and violence through the years.

Because of the eight killings, Gaffney said he launched Jacksonville’s Public Nuisance Abatement Board years ago.

It allows the city and JSO to close nuisance properties down.

“Rest assured you don’t have to wait another year and be afraid to walk or jog down Harts Road,” Gaffney said. “The process has begun.”

Johan Keitt said he didn’t know about the motel’s history of violence.

“I came from another hotel, and I came over here because I felt like it was quiet over here since it just opened back up literally two weeks ago,” Keitt said.

He’s only been at Home 1 Great Stay for a short time, taking care of his little siblings.

He heard the commotion last night.

“I see people running and scattering all over the place, and we start scattering and the police came up and put up the yellow tape,” Keitt said.

A neighbor in the area said she hopes more resources are invested in the area.

“All of the bottled-up frustration with being told no every day --about this person won’t hire you and that person won’t hire you -- it’s only so much you can take until people lash out and people lash out in different ways,” she said.

Gaffney said there will be a community meeting in two weeks, and the C.O.O will be present.

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