A man was killed after an argument turned into a shooting at a park on Moncrief Road in Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said the suspected shooter was taken into custody nearby, while detectives worked to establish the sequence of events.
According to Action News Jax, officers responded to the Moncrief Road park around 5:50 p.m. Wednesday and found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department rushed him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the outlet reports.
Argument Turns Violent Mid-Game
The reported account said the shooting followed an argument between the victim and the suspect. The suspect allegedly pulled out a gun and shot the victim while a group was playing basketball. Multiple witnesses were detained as investigators worked to determine what each person had seen.
The suspect fled after the shooting but was identified and taken into custody a short distance away, according to the report. Authorities have not publicly explained what began the argument or provided more specific details about where in the park the shooting occurred.
How this compares with other Jacksonville incidents
A documented Jacksonville shooting at a recreation-related venue occurred at the Jacksonville Landing on Aug. 26, 2018. According to The Guardian, three people, including the gunman, died during a shooting at a video-game competition. That incident was a mass shooting at a commercial venue, unlike the single-victim, argument-related shooting described in this case, and it falls outside a five-year comparison window. The City of Jacksonville says its Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services manages parks, recreation activities and programs while also providing social, senior and disability services citywide, according to the city department. The available information does not establish whether those services were involved in this incident or document specific safety concerns from local organizations.
Detectives Still Piecing Together the Timeline
Detectives interviewed witnesses and collected evidence as they investigated the circumstances of the shooting, the report states. The investigation remains ongoing, and officials had not released further information about potential charges against the suspect.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information to come forward. Tips can be sent to the sheriff's office at 904-630-0500 or by email at [email protected], or reported anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS.
The circumstances of the argument and shooting remain under investigation, with authorities asking anyone who witnessed the incident or has other information to contact them.
