Jacksonville police found a person shot and injured near the Red Roof Inn on Youngerman Circle just before 3 a.m. Thursday, after officers responded to reports of gunfire at the Westside motel. Officers detained a person of interest, and investigators say the injured person and that individual had been in a fight moments before shots were fired.
According to News4JAX, investigators said it remains unclear whether the two people knew each other before the altercation escalated into gunfire. Police said the incident does not appear to be domestic- or gang-related, and officers believe it was isolated rather than connected to any broader dispute or pattern of violence in the area.
The outlet's initial recap from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office did not indicate how badly the victim was hurt or whether that person was hospitalized. It also did not specify the ages or genders of either the victim or the person of interest, leaving key details of Thursday's shooting still unresolved as the investigation continues.
A Motel With a History of Trouble
This is not the first violent incident tied to the Red Roof Inn on Youngerman Circle. A JSO crime map cited by Action News Jax showed 29 crimes within a half-mile radius of the property. The station's report also found that Jacksonville Fire and Rescue crews were dispatched to the inn 123 times over a one-year stretch from November 2020 to November 2021, with 25 of those calls classified as overdoses and 15 as assaults.
Per the same outlet's reporting, a man was found dead inside a Red Roof Inn room in September with multiple gunshot wounds, and police had not announced an arrest or update in that case as of the station's publication. The report also noted a separate incident the prior Wednesday, in which JSO said an adult male was shot in the parking lot, suffered serious injuries and was taken to a hospital.
Patrols Increasing Near Youngerman Circle
In response to the pattern of calls, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is increasing patrols near Youngerman Circle and the motel itself, the same report states. News4JAX said it had a crew at the scene investigating Thursday's shooting as the department continues to piece together what led to the fight and gunfire.
Anyone with information on Thursday's shooting is asked to call JSO at 904-630-0500, email [email protected], or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.
