JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — New data is putting a stark number on the impact of gun violence on Jacksonville children.
An analysis by KFF Health News and The Trace, based on hospital claims data, identified three Jacksonville ZIP codes among the areas in Florida with the highest numbers of children treated for gunshot wounds.
Together, the three ZIP codes accounted for 159 children treated for gunshot wounds over a six-year period.
Two of those ZIP codes are in the district represented by Jacksonville City Councilwoman Ju’Coby Pittman.
Pittman said the numbers are surprising, but she believes addressing the problem will require more input from the communities most affected.
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“It does, but again, as I said, you know, funding is given to those communities and we’re looking to have a community roundtable,” Pittman said. “I have been meeting with some of the residents, some of those organizations that are in those communities who understand, especially when so many youth have been involved in shootings.”
Pittman said she wants residents and young people to have a greater voice in identifying the causes of violence in their neighborhoods.
She also said there is no single solution to Jacksonville’s gun violence problem.
“As a community, the city can’t do everything, but I think that we can continue to offer programs to help,” Pittman said. “So I don’t think that there’s one remedy that fits all because gun violence is not only just in District 10, it’s all over.”
Behind the statistics are families who have lost children to gun violence.
Two-year-old A’hmari Robinson was killed in a domestic dispute in March. The shooting happened in ZIP code 32205, which was not among the three Jacksonville ZIP codes with the highest totals.
According to the analysis, there were 17 gun violence incidents involving children in that ZIP code over the six-year period.
Robinson’s death is one example of how the numbers translate into real families and lasting grief.
Seven-year-old Breon Allen was killed after being caught between two rival street gangs in ZIP code 32209, one of the Jacksonville ZIP codes highlighted in the analysis.
Breon’s mother described the loss as devastating.
“I had such high expectations for my child,” she said. “And he was just taken away for nothing.”
The data also prompted questions about what city leaders are doing to address the violence.
Action News Jax asked Pittman whether she believes the mayor’s office is doing enough to stop the shootings.
“I think she is,” Pittman said, referring to Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan. “I think that she’s working with organizations that we all invest money into. But it causes, and we need more. You know, it’s never enough.”
Pittman said she plans to continue meeting with residents and organizations in the affected communities as the city looks for additional ways to address youth gun violence.
The Mayor’s Office sent the following statement:
“It is difficult not to acknowledge the toll gun violence is taking on our children and community. The data showing that ZIP codes 32209, 32208, and 32210 are among the highest in Florida for child firearm injuries reflect what we already know, that violence is not random, but rooted in conditions that have gone unaddressed for too long.
“Mayor Deegan believes in community-led solutions like the work of Journey Forward, which is intended to confront the root causes of violence by strengthening the conditions that allow young people and families to thrive.
“Journey Forward invests and collaborates in evidence‑based approaches that increase stability, expand opportunity, and reinforce community strengths. The goal is not just to reduce violence in the short term, but to ensure Jacksonville’s children can grow up in communities that are healthy, connected, and free from preventable harm.
“We are committed to standing with Jacksonville’s families and working hand‑in‑hand with the community to change the conditions that give rise to violence."
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