JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Some neighbors in the Springfield community said they were stunned after an ice cream man was shot during an attempted robbery.
The shooting happened Thursday evening in the 800 block of West Fourth Street.
Recommended Videos
"I heard something go 'pow,' and then I looked and I saw two guys just running. I realized that they had shot the ice cream man," said a witness who asked not to be identified.
He said just like in neighborhoods everywhere, the ice cream truck is a staple in the Springfield neighborhood.
"The ice cream man is always coming and going, you know. He seemed like a nice fellow," said the witness.
Police said two teens are responsible for the shooting. They said one teen came from behind a tree, showed his gun and demanded money from the ice cream man.
"When he refused to give them the money, they fired one shot and did what most cowards do -- they ran away," said Jacksonville Sheriff's Office spokesman Ken Jefferson.
Witnesses said they couldn't believe a children's favorite, like the ice cream man, could be the scene of such violence.
"The world is just getting bad. It really is, especially when they shoot the ice cream man who is trying to make a living doing the best he can," a witness said.
The victim was taken to Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center, where a day later he was in good condition.
Investigators said they have a good lead on the two teens suspected in the shooting.