Four males in their late teens were wounded in two connected shootings on Jacksonville’s Westside late Saturday, sending investigators to two scenes and leaving a shooter unidentified. The gunfire left detectives with four victims, shell casings and few public answers.
According to News4JAX, officers responded to Ortega Woods Drive around 11:40 p.m. after reports of a person shot and found three males suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Around the same time, officers received another call from Ortega Park Boulevard and found a fourth gunshot victim.
Investigators determined the two scenes were connected, but police have not released the victims’ conditions or said what led to the shootings. The victims are cooperating with detectives, who do not believe they knew the shooter; no suspect has been identified.
Investigators recovered shell casings, and police said they have not received reports that nearby homes or businesses were struck by gunfire. That leaves the motive and the sequence between the two locations unresolved as detectives continue interviewing witnesses and reviewing evidence.
Jacksonville Has Seen Other Multi-Victim Shooting Cases
The latest case follows several high-casualty shooting investigations in Duval County this year. In February, Jacksonville Today reported that 10 people were wounded across three separate weekend shootings, including one juvenile, while a June News4JAX report said four people, including a 16-year-old boy, were shot during a pop-up party.
Authorities have not publicly linked Saturday’s Westside shootings to those earlier cases. So far, the only connection announced by investigators is between the Ortega Woods Drive and Ortega Park Boulevard scenes.
Police Ask For Tips
Anyone with information can call the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office at 904-630-0500, email [email protected] or contact First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office crime tips page also provides instructions for submitting information directly to investigators.
