A young Jacksonville man is alive today after taking eight bullets outside a neighborhood convenience store in Panama Park on Sunday night. Police say the victim, in his 20s, was rushed to the hospital by his girlfriend, and doctors have determined his injuries are not life-threatening.
Police say two men opened fire
According to investigators, two men walked up to the victim outside the store and opened fire, hitting him multiple times in the side, hand, lower back and thigh before sprinting away from the scene. Detectives told Action News Jax that the victim did not know the two gunmen but did know a woman who was with them at the time.
Scene and neighborhood
The gunfire broke out at a small corner market on Buffalo Avenue in Panama Park, a spot neighbors often swing by for quick, everyday errands. Business listings identify the shop as Buffalo Food Store, according to the Better Business Bureau.
Investigators seek tips
With the shooters still at large, detectives say they are leaning heavily on community tips to move the case forward and are urging anyone who knows anything to come forward. Information can be reported to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at 904-630-0500 or anonymously through First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS, per the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Local context
The attack is one of several serious shooting incidents to hit Jacksonville this month, including a July 11 bar shooting in Baymeadows that left a man critically injured. Coverage of that earlier case highlights a recent run of separate but painful gun crimes across the city, as reported by News4Jax.
