JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A school bus was hit by a stray bullet in the Moncrief area during a shooting that left two men on the street with life-threatening gunshot wounds Tuesday evening.
“It was about when I heard about the fifth shot that I realized close proximity so we made sure all the staff went into the building and that we were in the building," said Stephanie Burke, executive director at Overflow Health Alliance.
Overflow Health Alliance is a nonprofit organization that's located near where the shooting took place Tuesday evening.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says when they were called to the intersection of Myrtle Avenue and Moncrief Road in reference to a shooting they found two men in their 20s with gunshot wounds.
“It’s heartbreaking. It’s heartbreaking because it’s not necessary. When you try to think what prompts someone to make those choices, life’s precious," said Burke.
JSO says shortly after, they received a call from a school bus driver who said that her bus had been struck by gunfire in the Moncrief and Myrtle area. Two students were on the bus at the time.
First Coast News reached out to DCPS who says they were not aware of any injuries of anyone on the bus.
“It also does make you realize you know. There’s work to be done in the community, with the community and with the youth especially," said Burke.
Burke says Overflow Health Alliance is pushing for some initiatives that could help change the stigma of the Moncrief area.
One of the initiatives is to get enough folks to sign a petition to change Moncrief Road to Overflow Avenue. The other is called Safe Place, giving youth in crisis a place to go and get assistance.
“There are great people in the community. It’s just a lot of the violence that goes on [which] gives it a bad name," said Burke.
The petition can be signed in house at 3416 Moncrief Road, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to call the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500 or email JSOCrimeTips@jaxsheriff.org. You may also call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.