JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A series of seven shootings across Jacksonville left 19 people shot and three killed between Saturday morning and Monday night.
The wave of violence included two fatal weekend party shootings and a deadly Monday night shooting at a Hyde Park apartment complex.
The recent surge in violent incidents comes during a year when official police data shows overall murder counts in the city have decreased. Online open data from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office shows 50 murders recorded so far this year, compared to 78 during the entirety of last year.
However, public murder figures only account for fatal incidents and do not track individuals who survive gunshot wounds, including the 16 survivors from the recent weekend shootings. Internal tracking by Action News Jax shows 189 total shootings recorded across Jacksonville so far this year.
On Monday shortly after 9 p.m., police responded to an apartment complex on Lane Avenue in Hyde Park following reports of gunfire. Officers found three men in their 20s who had been shot multiple times. One of the men died after being transported to a local hospital. No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting.
The Hyde Park incident followed a violent Halloween weekend across the city. Early Sunday in Durkeeville, 10 people were shot outside a house party, leaving shoes scattered as crowds fled the gunfire. Isaiah Goodson, 20, died from his gunshot wounds. His cousin, Dacora Lewis, spoke about his role in their family. “He was the glue to our family,” Lewis said.
Hours before the Durkeeville incident, 17-year-old Talisse Patterson was killed in Arlington while standing in line for another party. Police said Patterson, who friends called “Smiley,” was not the intended target of the gunfire. Keya Larosa, a family friend, reflected on Patterson’s memory. “Her name should be spoken loudly,” Larosa said. Tori Larosa, Patterson’s friend since fifth grade, also remembered her fondly. “She was sunshine personified,” Larosa said.
The citywide total of seven shootings over the weekend does not include a separate incident in which officers shot a man who reportedly turned a gun on them. That man survived his injuries. Action News Jax reached out to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for comment regarding the recent outbreak of violence, but did not receive a response prior to publication.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office investigators stated that solving both weekend party shootings will require assistance from the community. Anyone with video footage or information about either incident is asked to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office or Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.
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