Current:Home > NewsFastexy:3 separate shootings mar St. Patrick's Day festivities in Jacksonville Beach, Fla. -AssetLink
Fastexy:3 separate shootings mar St. Patrick's Day festivities in Jacksonville Beach, Fla.
Robert Brown View
Date:2025-04-08 08:12:25
Police are Fastexysearching for multiple suspects in three different shootings that left one person dead and at least three injured as thousands crowded in downtown Jacksonville Beach, Florida, Sunday night for St. Patrick's Day festivities.
The shootings occurred near the city's beachfront after police broke up a group of up to 400 people in their late teens who gathered under the pier Sunday afternoon.
"This group engaged in boxing matches, fights and other incidents. The Jacksonville Beach Police Department had to take action," Jacksonville Beach Police Chief Gene Paul Smith said at a new conference on Monday morning. "When the crowd dispersed, that's when the shooting happened."
Police responded to the first shooting at a Best Western hotel at around 7:50 p.m., Smith said. The shooting left three people injured – two were transported to the hospital afterwards, and another self-reported an injury. Authorities believe two of the victims fired at each other, while the third was an innocent bystander, Smith said.
Less than half an hour later, reports came in of a second shooting in a parking lot outside the Ritz, a cocktail bar. No one was injured or killed, and the shooter fled the scene in a black ski mask, Smith said. Officers found one firearm.
Police responded to the third shooting, which left one victim dead, at Sneakers Sports Grille at 8:31 p.m. Officers believe three suspects pulled out firearms, Smith said. The identity of the 21-year-old victim has not been released.
The shootings are believed to be unrelated, Smith said. The investigation remains ongoing, and the identities of the suspects have not been released.
"Quite frankly, I'm pissed off," Smith said. "I want you to come to Jacksonville Beach, I want you to live here, I want you to visit, but if you break the law, we're going to put you in jail."
Smith said officials do not know if any of the shootings were gang-related. The victim who self-reported their injury in the first shooting is a known gang member, he said.
Jacksonville police have asked people to contact authorities if they have information related to the incidents.
veryGood! (21)
Related
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- Australia Cuts Outlook for Great Barrier Reef to ‘Very Poor’ for First Time, Citing Climate Change
- Submarine on expedition to Titanic wreckage missing with 5 aboard; search and rescue operation underway
- How to Get Rid of a Pimple Fast: 10 Holy Grail Solutions That Work in Hours
- B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
- OB-GYN shortage expected to get worse as medical students fear prosecution in states with abortion restrictions
- Inmate dies after escape attempt in New Mexico, authorities say
- Cher Celebrates 77th Birthday and Questions When She Will Feel Old
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- Out-of-staters are flocking to places where abortions are easier to get
Ranking
- 'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
- Gerard Piqué Gets Cozy With Girlfriend Clara Chia Marti After Shakira Breakup
- Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Faces New Drilling Risk from Congress
- This Week in Clean Economy: NYC Takes the Red Tape Out of Building Green
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- 1 dead, at least 18 injured after tornado hits central Mississippi town
- Medication abortion is still possible with just one drug. Here's how it works
- For the first time in 15 years, liberals win control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Recommendation
A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
U.S. appeals court preserves partial access to abortion pill, but with tighter rules
25 Fossil Fuel Producers Responsible for Half Global Emissions in Past 3 Decades
Khloe Kardashian Unveils New Photo of Her Growing Baby Boy
Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
Top CDC Health and Climate Scientist Files Whistleblower Complaint
These Amazon Travel Essentials Will Help You Stick To Your Daily Routine on Vacation
See Below Deck Sailing Yacht's Gary Tell Daisy About His Hookup With Mads in Awkward AF Preview