JACKSONVILLE, Fla — A pregnant woman shot as she slept in an Arlington home, according to police. She survived but her unborn child did not.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is investigating the shooting in the Woodland Acres neighborhood in Arlington.
JSO says early Tuesday morning, the woman was shot in the abdomen and was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
First Coast News learned the victim’s mother was home at the time. The woman’s mother returned to the home Tuesday afternoon to get some belongings. She did not wish to speak but was clearly shaken up.
A neighbor said he woke up to the sound of the victim’s mother knocking on the door.
“She was just saying 'Please, can you call the police,' and when we open the door, she said 'Call the police, my daughter had been shot,'” a neighbor told First Coast News.
The neighbor, who did not want to be identified, said police arrived 10 minutes later after he called 911 at around 1:15 a.m.
JSO said the victim was in her late 20s and that the unborn child died after the woman was shot in the abdomen. Police do not have a suspect description but said it appears the woman was targeted.
The neighbor said the loss of the baby is tragic.
“Every time she [came] around we said ‘When will you pop the belly?’ and she said 'Soon, any day now, any day now,' is what she kept telling me,” the neighbor said.
Police said the incident happened inside the house and a single shot was fired.
The neighbor hopes the suspect is caught soon.
“I just believe this is really sad," the neighbor said. "They look like they’re good people and I hope whoever did it turn themselves in.”
According to the neighbor, the victim lived with her mom and sister.
Police said all three were asleep at the time of the shooting.
If you have any information for police, you are asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS or call the JSO at 904-630-0500.