Jacksonville police investigating ‘apparent road rage’ near Avenues Mall

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said it is investigating “an apparent road rage incident” that happened Wednesday morning near the Avenues Mall.

Several people told Action News Jax that employees at The Avenues Mall were asked to evacuate the building by mall management due to “security reasons.”

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JSO said in a social media post that “officers are on-scene attempting to identify what exactly occurred, but at this time, there has been nothing identified that would indicate an active shooter.”

Earlier Tuesday, JSO said it received a call about an alleged assault in the parking lot.

JSO said it does not believe that the suspect got inside the mall.

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The caller reporting the assault told police that a male suspect had a gun, JSO said.

This comes just days after there was a shooting in the mall’s parking lot near the food court.

The Avenues Mall released the following statement after Wednesday’s police investigation:

“These incidents are highly unusual for our center. We are grateful for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Department’s swift response and confirmation there was no threat to the public in either incident. Out of an abundance of caution, additional security will be deployed at the center. While we are unable to provide confidential information about our security protocols, please know that every decision we make is with the safety and security of our shoppers, retailers and employees top of mind. Please refer all additional inquiries to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Department.”

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Avenues Mall employees asked to evacuate; Jacksonville police searching for reported assault suspect Several people are telling Action News Jax that employees at The Avenues Mall were asked to evacuate the building due to “security reasons.”