JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A triple shooting that happened at a Jacksonville apartment complex Wednesday morning, left a 6-year-old boy dead, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
In a briefing held at 7:15 a.m., JSO's Assistant Chief Stronko says around 1:47 a.m., patrol officers responded to the Hollybrook Homes Apartments, located at 104 King St., in reference to a call about a person shot. Upon arrival, officers found three individuals shot, including a 29-year-old man, 12-year-old girl, and a 6-year-old boy.
Stronko says all three victims were taken to a local hospital. That's where the 6-year-old boy was pronounced dead, and the man and 12-year-old girl remain in life-threatening condition.
JSO says the person of interest fled the apartment complex on foot following the shooting. One resident who lives at the apartment complex said she heard the gunshot, Wednesday night. Ciara Sockwell expressed how she's having a hard time processing what happened.
"It's depressing, it's discouraging," Sockwell said. "Like, it's scary. It's very scary."
Sockwell told local media she wants to move because she doesn't feel safe to live there with her children. She believes the shooting could have been prevented.
"There's no explaining to a child. There's nothing to make them understand or feel comfortable," Sockwell said.
Stronko says JSO's detectives will be conducting interviews with the victims and witnesses as an investigation is ongoing for the incident. He said due to Marsy's Law, police are not able to say whether if the victims and person of interest were related or not. However, people who live at Hollybrook told First Coast News the victims are related. They said the adult victim was the father of the two children shot. Sources said the adult victim was known to security and he was trespassing.
Security Officials from Proteus Protective Services told First Coast News the apartment complex is on 100% lockdown. No one can enter the property unless they can provide credentials, showcasing they live there. PPS said they have 'random routine patrol', but no one was scheduled to patrol Hollybrook on the night of the shooting.
Children in Jacksonville have either been injured or killed because of gun violence lately. The most recent, a three-year-old girl was killed at an apartment complex in the Baymeadows area.
Anyone with information regarding the shooting, is asked to call JSO's non-emergency number at 904-630-0500 or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.