JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A teenager is currently battling for his life following a robbery that escalated into a shooting on Jacksonville’s Northside, according to reports from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Late Friday morning, officers were dispatched to the 900 block of Broward Road in the Highlands area after receiving reports of a shooting. Upon their arrival, they discovered a young man, described as being in his late teens, who had sustained several gunshot wounds. 

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

Preliminary findings by the authorities indicate that multiple unidentified suspects attempted to carry out a robbery at the victim’s apartment. Details surrounding their method of entry and any possible connections to the victim have yet to be determined.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office at 904-630-0500 or via email at jsocrimetips@jaxsheriff.org. For those preferring to stay anonymous, CrimeStoppers can be reached 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.”