Police: Man headed to work shot, killed in NW Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Homicide detectives are investigating the shooting death of a 62-year-old man early Tuesday morning near Moncrief Road and West 35th Street.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said Gary Bell was on his way to work at Republic Services about 4 a.m. when he was shot and later found on a sidewalk.

Police said it appears that Bell (pictured below) was being robbed at the time of the shooting.

Moncrief Road and Wilson Street were closed between West 34th Street to West 36th Street while police investigated. Police also searched the area to see if anyone had surveillance video that may help their investigation.

Gary Bell

Those who knew Bell said he would get up every morning before the crack of dawn and walk over to catch the bus on his way to work as a garbage truck driver.

"I think this is terrible, awful," Bell's landlord, Gwen Nmezi, said of his killing. "Whoever done this, they need to be caught. He never bothered nobody, paid his rent. He was a quiet, shy guy."

Nmezi said Bell couldn't have been a nicer tenant.

"He was a great guy, never bothered anybody," Nmezi said. "He walked to work early in the morning because his vehicle was broken. He would leave early and go to work, then come back ... around 1 o'clock, then get up the next morning and do the same thing every day."

Family members said Bell has multiple children, and they are devastated by the news. His niece Shan Doctor said she hopes police catch his killer.

"People have no respect for life," Doctor said. "All they have to do is take. They don't want to work for anything. They don't care about lives they affect. They're just trying to see what they can get, a quick dollar."

The shooting was not far from Grand Park, where three people were shot late Monday night, but police said there are no signs that the shootings are related.

"I have nothing to say that they are," said Sgt. Dan Janson. "I think that's something different, but can't say that unequivocally."

Anyone with any information about the killing is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS.