JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A teenager is battling life-threatening injuries following a robbery attempt that escalated into a shooting in the Northside area, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Officers were dispatched to the 900 block of Broward Road in the Highlands neighborhood shortly before noon on Friday in response to reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, they discovered a male in his late teens with several gunshot wounds.

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

Preliminary findings from the investigation suggest that multiple unknown suspects attempted to rob the victim’s apartment. It remains unclear how the suspects gained entry or whether they had any prior connection with the victim.

Authorities urge anyone with information to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office at 904-630-0500 or via email at jsocrimetips@jaxsheriff.org. To provide information anonymously, you can reach 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.”