Hundreds gather to lay Glen McNeil to rest

Funeral held at Welcome to Destination Church

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Hundreds of people packed an Arlington church Saturday to remember a 23-year-old man who was shot and killed in Jacksonville Beach only hours after an Independence Day celebration.

Glen McNeil Jr. was killed in a double shooting about 1 a.m. July 5 outside Surfer The Bar, near the intersection of First Avenue North and First Street. 

The victim's father said he was moved by the number of lives his son touched.

“From what I know, no one was a stranger to him. He loved everybody. He helped everybody. That's what he did,” McNeil Sr. said. “My son was very loved.”

The victim's aunt, Gloria Chaplin, said family members were very thankful for the support and were overwhelmed by the turnout.

“It is amazing, but again Glen was an amazing person and a beautiful person, so I see why,” Chaplin said.

“It really is incredible,” McNeil Sr. said. “It was beautiful, all the things his friends said to me.”

Joe Lawrence, who grew up with McNeil Jr., told News4Jax that he was with him the night he was killed. They and some friends had just gotten back from a trip to Mexico.

“He went jet skiing for the first time, snorkeling for the first time. We rode in a speed boat for the first time, so it was a memory I definitely love to have with him,” Lawrence said.

Lawrence described McNeil Jr. as the glue that kept his friends close and an all-around good person.

“He was just so impactful. It’s unbelievable,” Lawrence said.

Jacksonville Beach police have not released any suspect information.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Det. Dustin Kling at (904) 270-1675.