One Dead and Another Injured in Shooting at Jacksonville BP Gas Station as Community Calls for Action on Gun Violence

A fatal shooting occurred yesterday at a BP gas station located at the intersection of Atlantic Boulevard and St. Johns Bluff in Jacksonville, leaving one man dead and another seriously injured. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office arrived on the scene just before 3:30 p.m., finding two men in their 20s with gunshot wounds, amidst a backdrop of cruisers and crime scene tape, as first reported by News4JAX.

According to the News4JAX report, the police have not yet released information on the cause of the shootout and at the time of the incident, no shooters or persons of interest had been detained, leaving a pressed relative to lament the violence and appeal to authorities for intervention, her beseeching quote characterized the desperation, “Somebody got to take control of this gun violence here in Jacksonville,” she said. “Something’s got to happen. Sheriff, I’m asking and begging for you to step up your folks, and let’s take care of this. It’s too much violence. An innocent man got killed today. That’s a shame.”

Investigators relayed to Action News Jax that multiple firearms were used in the violent episode, which doesn't appear to be gang-related although the investigation continues.

An eyewitness to the bloodshed, DaShawn Harris, chronicled the horror to First Coast News, detailing the chilling details, "All we hear is gunshots," Harris said "I start running. I took off through the woods. I ran around. I hid in the car dealership over there. I came back and I see my best friend laying on the ground dead." Harris described the deceased as a devoted father just shy of his 30th birthday and the second victim, who was shot in the leg and is expected to survive, as his cousin.

The loss has evidently weighed heavily on Harris, who reflected on a bygone era where disputes didn't escalate to fatal outcomes, his statement echoed the shared sentiment of many in the community. "We used to just fight it out and be friends the next day," Harris said, "Now you gotta just shoot and kill people. People got family, man. His kids don't have a father. So whoever, if they do see me, hear this. I hope they really think about what they did and they killed an innocent man," as per the First Coast News.