JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Fireworks lit up the night sky over Downtown Jacksonville for Independence Day, with a crowd of thousands turning their eyes to the sky.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office had several officers with eyes on the lookout for danger after a shooting at a Fourth of July parade outside Chicago sparked concerns.
RELATED: Fourth of July parade shooting: Suspect in custody after 6 killed, dozens injured in Illinois.
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Organizers said they made plans with JSO, the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, and Emergency Operations Center ahead of Monday’s festivities. S.A.F.E. Security was also contracted to get extra eyes on Riverfront Plaza.
“Make sure everyone is safe and it’s a fun night. Everything’s been put together and in order. We’re ready to go,” April Hartwich with the City of Jacksonville said.
Parents at the event told Action News Jax’s Robert Grant that they were on high alert but wouldn’t let the fear stop them from celebrating.
“It does concern me, but you know you have to keep going,” Tekea Gilbert, a mother, said. “You can’t live your life in fear because the children don’t quite understand the world the way we understand it.”
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