JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office shared a news release with First Coast News on Tuesday, identifying the victim in the deadly hookah lounge shooting that took place in the parking lot of the business on the city's Westside early Monday morning.
Anthony Lewis, 21, has been identified by police as the man who was shot and killed. Witnesses took him to a local hospital where he died, according to police.
JSO's Sergeant Highfill told First Coast News that officers responded to the shooting around 1:10 a.m. on Monday.
Police said "multiple shots were fired" after a dispute happened in the parking lot, adding that there were more than 100 people at the hookah lounge at the time. Bullets struck several vehicles, too.
"The relationship of the individuals involved in the dispute and the reason for the dispute is still under investigation," Highfill said Monday.
Highfill confirmed there were security guards present in the parking lot at the time of the incident.
"Based on our initial investigation, they did not return any fire and they were not involved in the incident," Highfill said.
The sheriff's office has identified a suspect in the incident, described as a Black man who was wearing all black clothing at the time.
Since the incident took place, the owner of the establishment located at 5220 Normandy Blvd., told First Coast News that out of respect for what happened, he’s shutting down the hookah lounge. He said he had four security guards on staff Sunday night for Memorial Day and emphasized the shooting took place outside.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call JSO's non-emergency number at 904-630-0500 or to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.
First Coast News has requested the police report for this incident.