Sheriff: Armed man on dirt bike leads detectives to guns used in past Jacksonville shootings

3 adults, juvenile arrested after incident after hours at Westside High sparks Operation Safety Net investigation

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As a continued effort to fight violent crime and remove guns from the streets, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday the arrest of three adults and a juvenile and the seizure of multiple guns connected to several shootings across Jacksonville.

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K Waters said in the news conference that the arrests were a result of Operation Safety Net, which is a part of JSO’s “commitment to protect children.”

Waters said the arrests were in connection to a February incident that happened when police saw 19-year-old Jaylin Orange on Instagram Live riding a dirt bike and flashing a handgun with an extended magazine on Westside High School grounds after hours, according to an arrest report.

JSO then alerted school board police. Police attempted to pull over Orange on the dirt bike, but he got away.

JSO makes 4 arrests after Operation Safety Net investigation (Jacksonville Sheriff's Office)

MORE: Guns, Drugs & Gangs: An inside look at how Jacksonville police address violent crime

JSO’s Community Problem Response Unit, known as CPR, tracked down Orange at a home on Jaguar Court, where he, Jamall Cobbert, 22, and Dominque Alexander, 20, were found. All three men ran away from police and a chase ensued.

The men were later arrested and a search warrant was issued. An unnamed juvenile was also arrested at the home as well.

Investigators seized a total of six firearms, which included three rifles, two handguns and one shotgun. The handgun that Orange flashed in the video was converted to a fully automatic. Another gun was also converted to an automatic.

JSO seized several firearms after Operation Safety Net investigation (Jacksonville Sheriff's Office)

Waters said the shell casings from the guns were compared in the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network database, and detectives found that the casings matched those found in a Westside shooting in February 2022. The casings also matched the casings found at a May 2022 homicide, a June 2022 shooting, an August 2022 shooting, and a January 2023 shooting.

Waters reported that CPR detectives have removed over 130 guns connected to crimes from Duval County streets just in 2023.

“I want to commend all involved with this excellent work on this operation and thank them for their unwavering commitment to making Jacksonville a safer place for all the citizens,” Waters said.

Orange is charged with possession of a firearm on school property and carrying a concealed weapon.

Cobbert, who is a convicted felon on probation, and Alexander are both charged with resisting police.

Watch the full conference below:


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