Current:Home > Scams3 separate shootings mar St. Patrick's Day festivities in Jacksonville Beach, Fla. -Infinite Edge Learning
3 separate shootings mar St. Patrick's Day festivities in Jacksonville Beach, Fla.
View
Date:2025-04-19 02:07:48
Police are searching 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! (65552)
Related
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- Social Security projected to cut benefits in 2035 barring a fix
- Gov. Kristi Noem faces questions in new interview about false claim in her book that she met Kim Jong Un
- Cicada map 2024: See where to find Brood XIX and XIII − and where they've already been spotted
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- White-coated candy recalled nationwide over salmonella risk
- Gov. Kristi Noem suggests Biden's dog should be shot too: Commander, say hello to Cricket
- Some students want their colleges to divest from Israel. Here's what that really means.
- John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
- Snoop Dogg gets his own bowl game with Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice
Ranking
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- Why Prince Harry will not visit King Charles III in London this week
- Planters nuts recalled due to possible listeria contamination: See products affected
- Nosebleeds are common but can be a sign of something serious. Here's when to see a doctor.
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Wisconsin wedding barns sue over state’s new liquor law requiring licensing
- American is sentenced to 10 days in jail for reportedly breaking into a Russian children’s library
- London Mayor Sadiq Khan wins third term as UK's governing Conservatives endure more bad results
Recommendation
DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
We Can't Get Enough of Jennifer Lopez's Diamond Naked Dress at the 2024 Met Gala
Only Zendaya Could Make Thin Eyebrows Trendy at the 2024 Met Gala
Martha Stewart Swears By These 3 Practices to Help Herself Age Backwards
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
Booster valve glitch derails first crewed launch of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft
Zendaya, Gigi Hadid and More Best Dressed Stars at the 2024 Met Gala
Tina Knowles Shares Rare Update on Beyoncé and Jay-Z's Twins Rumi and Sir