2 women shot in Hillcrest neighborhood on Jacksonville's Westside

1 woman in critical condition, 1 in stable were targeted, police report shows

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Surveillance video and expert analysis seems to indicate Wednesday night's shooting of two women in the Hillcrest neighborhood on the Westside was not random.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office was called about 9 p.m. to Woodcrest Road, where they found two women between the ages of 20 and 30 shot. Investigators said the women had pulled up to a house in a car, and someone in another car drove up and opened fire.

One woman was said to be in critical condition, while the other was stable. Police believe between 30 and 40 shots were fired.

Officers said they were looking for a white, four-door car. They did not have a make or model of the vehicle.

According to a police report, the suspect vehicle followed the two women, indicating they were targeted. While one man drove the car, the shooter stood up through the sunroof and fired from that position, the police report said. One woman was hit in the back of the head and the other was hit in the thigh. That woman was attending the other woman when police arrived. 

A neighbor showed News4Jax surveillance video from Wednesday evening that shows on camera what the police report indicates -- the two women were targeted. The video shows a dark car traveling down Woodcrest Road, and according to the neighbor, the two women were inside.

"They're being followed by that white car right there," he said, pointing to a white, four-door car following closely behind the dark car.

The two cars drive out of the camera's frame, but the neighbor said the cars then went a little farther down the road and turn around. He said that's when the shooting happened. Seconds later, the white car sped off in the direction from which it came.

That same neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, said he ran out to help the two women after it happened. 

"The one young lady that was shot in the back of the head was unresponsive," he said. "The other young lady, who was her sister, I do believe, had been shot, but I don't think she knew she'd been shot because of the adrenaline."

News4Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson also viewed the footage.

"More than likely, the victim knew the shooter, as well," he said.

WATCH: News4Jax crime and safety expert reviews surveillance video

Jefferson added that with so many shots fired, he's certain the shootout was intended to be deadly.

"By the number of rounds that police were able to recover, this was not a random act," he said. "These women were targeted -- no ifs, ands, buts about it. They were targeted."

A truck in the driveway had what appeared to be a bullet hole in its passenger side window, but it's unclear if that was from Wednesday night's attack.

A man, who said he heard the gunshots when the two women were parked in his driveway, told News4Jax that he went out and carried one of the women to the front of his home. 

Anyone who can help with the investigation is asked to call JSO at 904-630-0500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.​


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