JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is searching for an armed burglar who fired shots during a car break-in attempt early Tuesday morning in the normally quiet Murray Hill neighborhood. The incident has left residents on edge as the suspect remains at large.
The break-in happened around 1 a.m. on Wolfe Street, just two blocks southeast of Post Street. A 19-year-old woman had briefly gone inside her parents’ home to grab some items when the armed man jumped into her car.
The victim’s mother was the first to spot the intruder inside the vehicle. She tells News4JAX that she immediately woke her fiancé, who approached the car to investigate.
That’s when the burglar pulled out a gun and fired through the back passenger window before fleeing the scene.
“It was terrifying. I’ve never seen a gun up close like that pointed at us,” the victim’s mother said. “He reached back and shot at us through the back passenger window.”
Thankfully, no one was injured in the shooting. The family quickly retreated inside and called 911. Despite an intense police search by ground and air, the suspect remains on the loose.
Neighbors described the scene as unsettling for a community that has enjoyed a safer environment in recent years.
“Knowing he’s still out there is pretty spooky. Getting in and out of your own vehicle late at night on your own block is very scary,” one neighbor said.
Another resident expressed concern that the incident could disrupt the neighborhood’s improving safety record.
“We are very concerned because we haven’t had this issue for years. It felt like the crime was going down, and it’s gotten safer and secure, and to have this happen again is alarming,” the resident said.
Surveillance footage obtained by News4JAX shows the suspect attempting to enter cars in a driveway on Wolfe Street just moments before the shooting. The burglar was seen trying to break into multiple vehicles before the victims arrived.
According to Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office crime data, there have been 11 vehicle burglaries and seven home burglaries reported within a half-mile radius of Wolfe Street in the last three weeks.
Police say the investigation is ongoing and have not yet identified the suspect. They urge anyone with information to contact JSO or Crimestoppers.