JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Beach police and city leaders are raising alarms after a weekend teen takeover ended with four juveniles and one adult shot. The chaos follows another unpermitted teen takeover at the Avenues Mall just a week before.
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Police say they first caught wind of the takeover from the local school police. The Instagram post promoting the unpermitted event is believed to be connected to the same group behind last week’s mall takeover. Detectives continued to monitor the Instagram account over a span of days. From February 16th to February 19th, police watched the post’s engagement grow from 619 likes to more than 1,200.
Even with advanced monitoring, extra enforcement, and partnership with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, violence erupted, leaving officers rattled. Commander Crumley of the Jacksonville Beach Police Department reflected on the incident, saying, “Why did this turn to this? Why is violence always the solution where it shouldn’t be… that’s the biggest question when you have time to think about it.”
Police say the many cameras around the beach were key in tracking crowd movement and documenting incidents, but Crumley stressed that technology alone isn’t enough. “Being a beach community, we have to pull a whole lot of additional resources out during the beautiful time of the year, just to make sure that the public has a safe place to come and enjoy the beach,” he said.
Local residents, like Ashlee Joseph, have grown accustomed to the area’s ongoing violence. “It doesn’t faze me much,” Joseph said. She also noted that restrictions at the Orange Park Mall will likely push teens to find other locations.
City leaders are now urging parents to stay engaged and informed. In a statement, they said, “These takeover events are promoted heavily on social media and can escalate quickly, even when they appear harmless at first. Parents are encouraged to talk with their teens about the risks.” Commander Crumley added, “Please be parents. Please be involved in your children’s lives. Know where they’re going, know what they’re doing. If you see them or hear them talking about these takeover events, urge them not to let them participate.”
Police are continuing to investigate the shooting, and so far, no arrests have been made. Those who were shot are expected to recover.
Another teen takeover is reportedly planned for this weekend, and Jacksonville Beach police say they are using all available resources to prevent a repeat of the weekend’s violence.
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