JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A teenager is battling life-threatening injuries after a robbery escalated into a shooting on the Northside, reports the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities stated that just before noon on Friday, officers were dispatched to the 900 block of Broward Road in the Highlands area following reports of a shooting. Upon their arrival, they discovered a young man, described as being in his late teens, who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds.

The wounded teenager was quickly transported to a nearby hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

Preliminary investigations by the JSO suggest that a group of unknown suspects attempted to rob the teenager’s apartment. The method of entry and the nature of any possible connection between the suspects and the victim remains unclear at this time.

Anyone with information is encouraged to reach out to JSO via phone at 904-630-0500 or email at jsocrimetips@jaxsheriff.org. For those wishing to remain anonymous, tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.

We spoke with our crime and safety expert Mark Baughman about the investigation. 

“You got to establish motive here,” he said. “The police are going to try and find that out. They’re going to canvass the area. They’re going to look for witnesses. Hopefully this young man lives, and is able to talk to law enforcement or is willing to talk to law enforcement.”

He went on to share this message for anyone worried about safety.

“You obviously want to have cameras,” Baughman said. “You want to have an alarm system. You may want to have a dog. A lot of people have firearms to protect their homes and protect themselves, and you want to make sure you have good locks on the doors that they’re not easy to breach.”