JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man was killed and a woman was injured on Wednesday morning after a shooting in a Magnolia Gardens home, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
JSO said at 2:21 a.m., a woman called saying she had shot someone and that she was shot too. A patrol responded to the home on Begonia Road and found the woman and a man with at least one gunshot wound.
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue responded and said the man died at the scene. The woman was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
James Hall, a long-time resident of more than 55 years, described waking up to a chaotic scene:
“I noticed the presence of the officers around three o’clock this morning … it was maybe a dozen cars here, and I was told that there was a shooting down the street," he said.
He added that recent years have marked a troubling shift in neighborhood safety:
“Not even a handful of break-ins … but late in last three or four years … it’s becoming more common for incidents to occur around here. So … praying that God cover this neighborhood … because just a sign of the times," Hall said.
Bruce Rone, newer to Magnolia Gardens, was also disturbed by the escalation.
“I seen the polices, and I seen the lights … it’s very rare for us to be that kind of commotion in this area. This is Magnolia Gardens … it’s quite a neighborhood.”
He noted how neighbors normally keep to themselves:
“Because a lot of people, they quiet. This is not like everybody know everybody. I don’t even know some of my neighbors,” Rone said.
While Magnolia Gardens has long been known as a peaceful, close-knit community, residents say recent incidents have disrupted their peace of mind.
JSO said it doesn’t know the relationship of the people involved nor the circumstances of the shooting.
Anyone with information is asked to call JSO at 904-630-0500 or email jsocrimetips@jaxsheriff.org or CrimeStoppers at 866-845-TIPS.