JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 29-year-old man who has been charged in a triple shooting on Jacksonville’s Northside that killed his 4-year-old daughter and critically injured his 2-year-old daughter and the girls’ mother pleaded not guilty on Thursday.
His pretrial will be Aug. 25 and the trial will be Jan. 7, 2027. Judge Johnathan Sacks will preside over the trial.
On July 2, with his right arm wrapped and in a sling around his shoulder, Trudale Reed heard the charges against him from a judge, and the bond amount set for each:
- Count 1: Life felony, murder in the second-degree with a weapon, domestic in nature (No bond)
- Count 2: Life felony, attempted murder in the first-degree with a weapon, domestic in nature (No bond)
- Count 3: Life felony, attempted murder in the first-degree with a weapon, domestic in nature (No bond)
- Count 4: 2nd-degree felony, aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement officers ($250,003)
- Count 5: 2nd-degree felony, shooting or throwing deadly missiles ($250,003)
- County 6: 2nd-degree felony, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon ($250,003)
- Count 7: 3rd-degree felony, grand theft auto ($150,003)
Because he was denied bond on the murder and attempted murder charges, Reed will remain in jail pending trial. He has been ordered to have no contact with witnesses or victims.
Reed will be back in court on July 23, when he will enter a plea to the charges.
What happened
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said that officers responded Tuesday afternoon to a home on Traci Lynn Drive and found a 27-year-old woman and her two young girls suffering gunshot wounds.
The woman’s 4-year-old daughter died at the scene. She and her toddler daughter were taken to local hospitals with life-threatening injuries. No update has been released on their condition since the shooting.
Investigators said they learned that Trudale Reed, the girls’ father, was arguing outside the home with the girls’ mother and then fired multiple rounds, hitting her and their two daughters before driving off in a stolen SUV.
Detectives from JSO’s Homicide Unit responded to the scene and took over the investigation. Investigators quickly identified Reed as the shooter and issued a BOLO — be on the lookout — with a description of the vehicle.
Members of JSO’s Community Problem Response Team found Reed and stopped him using a vehicle block. They took him into custody without incident, and he was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.
He was booked into the Duval County Pre-Trial Detention Center on Tuesday night.
Criminal history
According to past court records, Reed served time in prison from 2016 to 2019 for robbery with a deadly weapon stemming from an incident in 2015 when he was 19 years old.
RELATED: New Florida domestic violence laws take effect, adding tougher penalties and new victim protections
Records show Reed was also arrested twice in Duval County on domestic battery charges—once in 2022 and again in July 2025—but both cases were later dropped.
According to the State Attorney’s Office, the 2022 charge was dismissed after Reed’s brother declined to pursue the case or participate in prosecution. In the 2025 incident, his father chose not to move forward, resulting in the charges being dropped.
Domestic violence resources:
Free, confidential support is available 24/7 through Hubbard House’s Hotline at 904-354-3114 and Text line at 904-210-3698.
If you or someone you know is or has been a victim of domestic violence or abuse, here’s a list of other resources available:
- The Florida Domestic Violence Hotline, which will direct you to the nearest shelter, is 1-800-500-1119.
- The National Domestic Violence Hotline is open 24 hours a day. The number is 1-800-799-SAFE.
- The Micah’s Place (Nassau County) Domestic Violence Help Hotline is 904-225-9979.
- The Quigley House (Clay County) hotline is 904-284-0061.
- The Betty Griffin Center (St. Johns County) can be reached at 904-824-1555.
