18-year-old shot in head on bike

Police looking for shooter in Moncrief Park neighborhood

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An 18-year-old man was shot in the head while riding a bike early Wednesday morning.

Officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office responded around 1:40 a.m. to Spires Avenue, which is near Fairfax Street in the Moncrief Park area.

Darryl Arnold was taken to UF Health Jacksonville in critical condition and was expected to go into surgery.

Arnold's mother said she and other family members were at the hospital waiting and praying for her son. She said Wednesday afternoon he hadn't reached the point where he is recovering.

Police were searching for the suspect early Wednesday morning. Investigators also want to talk to a couple people who called 911.

"We are sorting through the 911 calls to figure out who called and reported what. Once we do that we will have a better idea if we have any more witnesses," said Sgt. Michael Paul.

A second person was with the teen when he was shot, but that person was not injured, according to police. Officers were talking with him to determine what he knows and what he saw.

"From what I understand, the individual who was shot lived in the area and they were going to his house," Paul said.

"Well, I was sleeping. All these gunshots, like six, seven shots fired, and it was so close and I heard close to my -- I'm at the back window back room, so you know, it was close, so I jumped to the wall," said Sunny Muir.

Muir said he's glad none of those bullets went into his house but he's upset the teen was struck.

"I saw when they took out the bed and I said, 'Oh my God, somebody got shot,'" Muir said. "And they put him on the bed, and I was there until they put him in the van."

Neighbors said they're still rattled by what happened.

"I have a 15-year-old son a 12-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter that live in this neighborhood," Vancella Richardson said. "I'm afraid for my kids to walk to the store now."

After this latest act of violence, Richardson hopes members of the community will step up to make it safer.

"As black people, we need to stand together and get together and get more mentors or something in the neighborhood where somebody can do something," she said. "It doesn't make any sense that we are killing each other."

If you have any information about this crime, call Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS or the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500.