Witnesses in the neighborhood say this was out of character and completely unexpected.
FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — Residents of a Fernandina Beach neighborhood were left in shock on Wednesday night after a sudden and violent stabbing attack left three people injured.
The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office has named 41-year-old Jeremy Eugene Darity as the suspect, who is now detained on multiple attempted murder charges.
The incident occurred shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Duck Lake Drive, transforming an ordinary evening for numerous families into one of turmoil and fear.
According to authorities and victim accounts, Darity attacked three individuals, including Cody Griffis, who suffered multiple stab wounds and was airlifted to UF Health Shands Hospital due to the severity of his injuries.
Griffis’s fiancée, who did not want to be named, described the harrowing moments after the attack.
“It was supposed to be a normal routine night that we do every week,” she said. “Then there was a knock on the door, and the first victim was standing there with blood all over him.”
Moments later, she said, Darity approached, yelling profanities, and began assaulting Griffis.
“He was sliced from head to toe,” she said.
Neighbor Adam Crosby was also injured in the incident.
“When I tried to help him out to get him off of it, that’s when he stabbed me twice,” Crosby said.
All victims are expected to recover, and family members call it a miracle that all three survived.
Some neighbors say that while the area is typically quiet, they noticed Darity exhibiting unusual behavior in recent days.
“It’s normally okay, but it has been kind of like yelling and screaming and talking to himself the last few days,” Crosby said.
Darity is being held at the Nassau County Jail and Detention Facility on a bond of more than $600,000. He is under a strict no-contact order, prohibiting him from reaching out to any of the victims.
As the community searches for answers, victims and their families expressed gratitude for their survival and hope that Darity receives the help he needs.
“None of that should have occurred,” Griffis’s fiancée said. “We’re just grateful everyone survived.
