Police told men wearing bandannas opened fire from car

2 victims of drive-by shooting taken to get help by witnesses

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two men, including one wanted for arrest on a sexual battery charge, were shot Monday night in a Jacksonville neighborhood a group of men wearing red bandannas pulled up in a car and opened fire, according to witnesses.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said the drive-by shooting took place just after 7 p.m. on East 22nd Street, in the Longbranch neighborhood. One victim was shot several times in the back and the other was shot in the legs. Both ended up at UF Health Jacksonville, one taken there by witnesses and the other dropped off at a nearby fire station.

The names and ages of the victims were not released, but one of them was arrested at the hospital on an outstanding warrant for sexual battery and grand theft. The police report indicates he is also a person of interest by the sexual assault unit.

Police did not have any shooting suspects custody but said they were looking for a white, four-door compact sedan.

No one in the neighborhood Tuesday wanted to talk about the shooting, but News4Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson said the information already given to police provides critical clues to who may have fired the shots.

"The witnesses told them that they saw (them) with bandannas on," Jefferson said. "Now does that mean they were apart of a group or a gang? We don't know at this particular time until JSO completes their investigation."

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS or call JSO at 904-630-0500 or send an email to jsocrimetips@jaxsheriff.org.

Jefferson said the cooperation of the community is critical to finding the gunmen.

"You have got to have cooperation from the community," Jefferson said.

According to News4Jax records, 195 people have been shot in Jacksonville since the beginning of the year and 66 of those have died.

 


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