Crime-filled weekend in Jacksonville raises community concern

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is investigating the exchange of gunfire on Christmas Eve that left a teenager dead.

Ronnie Mack told Action News Jax he was working in his garage when he heard gunfire erupt down the street from his Lancashire Drive home on Sunday.

“I heard 12 shots, and they stopped. I ran out to the street. Then, I saw a car pull off,” he said.

Mack said he ran down the street to see what was going on, and that’s where he found a 19-year-old man lying on the ground, bleeding from a gunshot wound, surrounded by shell casings.

“Just had a bullet shot right through the shoulder. He was going in and out, in and out,” Mack said.

Once police arrived, Mack told officers about the car that fled the scene.

Officers said they found the car about a half-mile away, with three people inside. All three have been detained.

Investigators said they've seen an increase in violent crime over the holiday weekend.

Since Friday, Action News Jax reported on three shootings and one suspicious death.

Homeowners near the scene of the Lincoln Hills shooting said crime is infiltrating the area and shifting closer to neighborhoods.

Many people are installing security systems in their homes and being more alert to keep their families safe.

“Anything to keep your kids safe. You want to be safe so you have to let people know what’s going on,” Mack said.

Cox Media Group