JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – What started as a Saturday night neighborhood street party on A. Philip Randolph, to celebrate the life of rapper Lil Poppa, who recently passed away, ended in gun violence.
And neighbors who were either at the party or at home told News4JAX they’re tired of neighborhood events being violently disrupted by people who are not from this community.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 2 men, 2 women injured in shooting during street party on Jacksonville’s Eastside: JSO
According to police, four people were injured after gunfire broke out early Sunday during a street gathering on A. Phillip Randolph Street, according to police and neighbors.
News4JAX reported the gathering was meant to recognize the life of rapper Lil Poppa, whose real name is Janarious Mykel Wheeler. Georgia authorities say Wheeler died by suicide.
A crawfish boil, food containers, and plastic cups lined the block, neighbors said, evidence of a large street gathering before the shooting.
Neighbors said the gunfire sent people running past homes and that a surveillance camera recorded the sound of a final shot and cars speeding away from the scene.
“They were running down the street from A. Philip Randolph,” one neighbor said.
After police cleared the scene, News4JAX reporters said shell casings were still on the sidewalk, and witnesses described finding bullet fragments near the party area.
Longtime Eastside residents told reporters they believe some of the violence stems from people coming into the neighborhood from outside, a repeat worry after previous incidents on the same block.
“I don’t know what side is coming over here, starting this stuff,” one woman said.
“We just wish they would stop coming over here, wrecking our place,” another neighbor said.
Authorities have not said whether any arrests were made. Police described the shooting as a quadruple shooting; investigators were working to identify suspects and determine a motive.
The shooting comes as redevelopment plans and public and private funding have focused attention on Jacksonville’s Eastside. The report mentioned millions of dollars targeted for redevelopment and referenced a $2 billion renovation at nearby EverBank Stadium.
It’s also worth noting that the Together Eastside Coalition released a statement saying, in part:
The family would like to address recent public discussions and announcements circulating on social media.
At this time, the family has not authorized, organized, or approved any memorial services, vigils, or public gatherings. Any off-site events currently being promoted are not affiliated with or endorsed by the family.
The family respectfully asks the public, community leaders, and event organizers to refrain from planning or promoting any gatherings without the family’s direct consent. This is a sensitive time, and the family is requesting privacy, respect, and accuracy in all public communications.
Please do not publish or suggest that this statement is connected to any specific individual or artist. This clarification is being made due to isolated incidents involving groups gathering without authorization, and not because of any official family-organized event.
Should any official arrangements ever be made, verified information will come directly from the family through trusted channels.
Thank you for respecting the family’s wishes and allowing them the space they need at this time.
Together Eastside Coalition spokesperson