JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A man in town visiting for a football game never makes it back home to Chicago. He was killed in cold blood inside a bar at the Jacksonville Landing.
It's the second murder at that spot in about as many months. And now people are wondering if the place is safe.
Early on Sunday, William Pettry's throat was slashed by a stranger inside Fionn MacCool's at the Landing. Matthew Hinson of Jacksonville is being charged with murder.
And back in August, another man died after a brawl inside Maverick's. Folks say over the years the Landing has gone downhill.
"I'm not gonna come down here if people keep on getting killed," said Marc Bchiri.
Bchiri has grown up in Jacksonville. He says the Landing is nothing like it used to be.
"I remember when I was a kid we used to come around here and run around and play, and as a teenager you'd come here and eat, he said. "Now we come here for Jaguar games and then end up somebody gets stabbed."
Police say Pettry, in town from Chicago for the football game, ended up in a terrible situation. His life ended on the floor of Fionn MacCool's bar after police say Hinson slashed his throat in cold blood.
"What is someone's life worth doing something like that for?" questioned Darrell Robertson, also in town from Chicago for the game.
The incident, along with the previous murder outside Maverick's, is calling into question safety at the Landing.
"I think there should be a little more security out here," said Bchiri. "Couple more police officers."
But others say how can you prevent this kind of crime?
"What can you do unless you search people as they come in and how can you do things like that?" questioned Sherry Lyle.
Action News took those concerns straight to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. They say strengthened security probably couldn't have saved Pettry's life.
"I think it's because we have two incidents there in the last couple of months but no, I don't think. The Landing security is fine this is just an unfortunate incident that occurred in one of the restaurants there," said Lt. Rob Schoonover.
"You're gonna get good and bad people everywhere, so unfortunately I think it's just the world we're living in," added Lyle.
Action News did speak off-camera with the manager of Fionn MacCool's. He says security at the Landing is phenomenal. And his bar was actually just voted best new restaurant in Jacksonville by Folio Weekly. He says the issue comes out Tuesday.
We also reached out to Landing management, asking if they planned on stepping up security there. Action News was told at no time do they ever make public their safety and security measures.
Hinson is still behind bars. Police say he confessed to slashing Pettry's throat, but told them he couldn't remember why he did it.
