Three people were injured Tuesday after two suspects fired into a crowd gathered in Jacksonville to celebrate the life of a man who recently died.
The “Celebration of Life” event drew more than a hundred people, who gathered on 4th and Campus Avenue in Jacksonville’s Riverview area, News 4 Jax reported citing the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Two shooters approached on foot and fired multiple rounds into the crowd as the celebration was winding down, according to First Coast News. (RELATED: 12 Dead, Over 100 Injured In Shootings Over Juneteenth Weekend)
One of the three people struck by gunfire sustained serious injuries, News 4 Jax reported. All three are expected to survive, according to the outlet. Event organizers had hired armed security guards, but they were unable to return fire, First Coast News reported, citing police.
BREAKING UPDATE: Just as the event was winding down around 5 p.m., JSO said two shooters showed up and fired multiple rounds into the crowd and armed security returned fire. https://t.co/8mjAC0iJip
— News4JAX (@wjxt4) June 21, 2023
The man whose life was commemorated at the event died in a hospital several months before from gunshot wounds, an attendee’s family member told News 4 Jax. Investigators have not determined if Tuesday’s shooting incident is related to the shooting death of the man who recently died, the outlet reported. The only details released from Tuesday’s shooting is that the gunmen were wearing all black, according to News 4 Jax.
A similar shooting took place at a memorial commemorating a 16-year-old killed in a shooting last month, according to First Coast News. The teen’s family held the memorial on the same block where he was shot just four days before. Gunmen then arrived and fired on the gathering, First Coast News said.