Jacksonville homicide detectives have re-arrested 45-year-old Damon Thomas in connection with a November shooting on Baymeadows Road that left a man dead. Investigators returned to the Duval County jail on Wednesday with a felony-murder warrant, even though Thomas was already locked up there on an unrelated child-molestation case, according to the sheriff’s office. The victim in the November shooting has been identified as 32-year-old Rhoderius Simmons.
Arrest and charges
According to a post by the Jax Sheriff’s Office, homicide detectives secured the felony-murder warrant and formally re-booked Thomas at the Duval County jail on March 4, 2026. The agency says Thomas now faces a felony-murder charge tied to the November shooting, and that homicide detectives worked the case alongside the Crime Scene Unit. Investigators say they have submitted evidence to support the warrant and plan to keep pursuing all leads.
What happened in November
Local reporting from the time indicates the shooting unfolded late on Nov. 3, 2025, at Medusa Lounge, 9551 Baymeadows Road, after a 911 call brought officers to the popular hookah spot. Coverage by Action News Jax notes that investigators described the confrontation as an apparent robbery attempt. According to that report, the business owner and two people who entered the location exchanged gunfire inside the establishment, and one of those who entered was later found shot and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Victim identified
Funeral-home records identify the slain man as Rhoderius Lamar Simmons, 32, and list Nov. 3, 2025, as his date of death, according to an obituary posted by C L Page Mortuary. The obituary outlines memorial services planned in Jacksonville and remembers Simmons for his close family connections and his love of music. Local reporters and investigators have not released further information about the motive beyond the initial robbery allegation.
Investigation continues
Homicide detectives say their work on the case is ongoing and are asking anyone with information to contact JSO at 904-630-0500, email [email protected], or reach out through CrimeStoppers, according to the sheriff’s post. The sheriff’s account also states that Thomas drove away from the area after the shooting and was later re-arrested inside the Duval County jail on the new warrant. Detectives have not said whether prosecutors have secured an indictment or what specific penalties they plan to seek.
What felony murder means
Under Florida law, certain killings that occur during the commission of other felonies are treated as murder. The state’s homicide statute is codified at Florida Statutes section 782.04, which spells out the degrees and elements of murder. That framework gives prosecutors several charging options, and convictions can lead to decades-long prison terms or, in specified circumstances, life or capital sentences. Any charging decisions and court filings in Thomas’s case will determine how the state ultimately frames the felony-murder allegation.
