A dispute that started inside a St. Johns County restaurant ended with gunfire outside a home on a quiet Southside Jacksonville cul-de-sac early Sunday morning, leaving a man in his early 20s with a gunshot wound to the hip and a suspect now behind bars. Jacksonville police say the confrontation followed the victim nearly all the way home before turning violent.
According to WJXT News4JAX, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office officers responded to Cumberland Cove Court at approximately 3:17 a.m. Sunday and found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the hip. The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department transported him to a local hospital, where his injuries were described as non-life threatening.
Argument Followed Victim Across County Lines
Investigators say the dispute began at a restaurant in St. Johns County, and the station's report states the suspect then followed the victim by vehicle all the way to his home in Duval County. Once there, the suspect got out of the car and opened fire several times, striking the victim in the hip before fleeing the scene. Officers later located and took the suspect into custody, per the same account.
Investigators described the shooting as isolated, and said the victim was cooperating with detectives. Several shell casings were recovered at the scene. The shooting began in St. Johns County but ended in Duval County, where the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is investigating.
The distance between northern St. Johns County and the Southside Jacksonville neighborhood around Cumberland Cove Court is roughly 22 miles. That distance underscores how far the confrontation traveled before it turned violent.
Charges Remain Unclear
Formal charges remained unclear.
A Low Annual Homicide Total Was Possible
Jacksonville was on pace for a low annual homicide total.
The homicide trend behind that outlook has shifted from year to year. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office recorded 148 total homicides in 2023, 79 in 2024 and 97 in 2025; those totals include murders, manslaughter and justifiable homicides. The figures show the sharp decline in 2024 was followed by an increase the next year, even as the 2026 total remained below 2025’s full-year count in the agency’s homicide data.
Anyone with information on Sunday's shooting is asked to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500 or email [email protected]. Tipsters can also reach Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.
