In a tragic turn of events, a mass shooting unfolded following a gathering of over 15 individuals believed to be involved in a romantic dispute, according to Jacksonville police.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A shooting incident on Wednesday night left four people injured, including a teenage girl, in the Magnolia Gardens neighborhood, as reported by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
During a news conference, Lieutenant Frederick Dash from JSO’s Robbery and Violent Crimes Unit detailed that officers responded to the scene on Begonia Road around 6 p.m. Upon arrival, they discovered four victims: women aged 47, 22, and 20, along with a 17-year-old girl, all suffering from gunshot wounds.
A representative from Jacksonville Fire and Rescue noted that one of the women was initially in critical condition. However, later that evening, authorities confirmed all victims were in stable condition and expected to recover.
Preliminary investigations revealed that a group of at least 15 individuals had gathered on the street, seemingly to resolve a romantic conflict that involved some of them.
Authorities were keen to locate three men for questioning on Wednesday night. Lt. Dash described the individuals as black men dressed in dark clothing and wearing surgical masks, who reportedly fled the scene in a silver SUV shortly after shots rang out.
The exact motivation for the shooting, nor the number of shooters, was not immediately known. Lt. Dash said it is not believed to have been gang-related.
Anyone with additional information on the shooting or any suspects is asked to contact JSO directly at 904-630-0500 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
