JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Two men are still on the run Thursday night after police said they went into a Jacksonville business wearing masks and shot and killed a security guard.
There are bullet holes through the storefront of Dragon Arcade on the Westside. A cease-and-desist order is on the door from the city’s fire marshal office that states there was an illegal internet café inside.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office investigators said they don’t know what led up to the shooting that killed the security guard around 2:00 a.m. Thursday.
"The man that got killed, he really is a warrior," said Devonta Thomas who was shopping at the plaza on North Edgewood Avenue where the crime scene was. "He’s a security guard, he’s over here looking out for other people out here. He put his life on the line.”
A police officer stood outside Dragon Arcade behind crime scene tape for much of the day Thursday. The cease-and-desist order posted on the door states Dragon Arcade was an illegal business. It reads: “internet cafe not legal in Duval County.”
First Coast News was unable to reach the business's owner Thursday night. A property manager said they did not know anything about it.
Michael Miller owns a business in the shopping plaza and said the security guards from Dragon Arcade shop at his business. Miller said there have been other shootings recently at the plaza and that it's hurting his business.
"Some people are afraid to come out," said Miller, who owns Big House of Hookah, Glass and Vape. "People are afraid to come to the store, come to the plaza. And the sad thing is this plaza’s built for families. It’s a family shopping center, clothing stores, our grocery store, the dollar stores, salons, sea food restaurant. This is places that are built for families to shop and it kind of makes it unsafe.”
Police said they do not have suspect or vehicle descriptions but do have video.
“If you out here killing people, doing stuff like that over something ignorant, something foolish, it’s a bad occurrence," said Thomas. "The people that did, that do that, it’s bad."
First Coast News spoke with a worker in the thrift store at the plaza. She said the security guard that was killed had been in the store recently and had his eye on a blue jersey. She said she wished she could give that jersey to his family.
JSO would not confirm the name of the man killed Thursday.
Anyone with information is asked to call JSO's non-emergency number at 904-630-0500 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.