JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – City leaders are calling on the community to stop the growing wave of violence in Jacksonville — even as the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office investigates two more shootings overnight.
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Councilman Reggie Gaffney wants other city leaders, pastors and community members to come together for a prayer rally Wednesday.
The number of people killed at the hands of another in Jacksonville currently stands at 61 — with 49 of those deaths classified as murders. Through the same period in 2021, there had been 52 homicides with 40 murders.
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Mothers Against Violence voiced their desires for changes in Northwest Jacksonville, where they say senseless shootings and killings can be prevented. The mothers in the group have all lost a child to gun violence.
“Our stories are not the only stories,” one mother said. “There are way too many stories for us to keep telling and not to do anything about it. I’m begging and pleading. Help. We’re losing our children. It isn’t supposed to be like this.”
Just hours after that rally, there were two more shootings in the city.
The first shooting happened Tuesday night at about 9:30 p.m. on East 8th Street when someone fired shots into a car that was driving in that area.
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One person inside was hit and was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The second happened about two hours later when men playing basketball got into a fight near Philips Highway and Emerson Street.
JSO said someone pulled out a gun and shot a man in the ankle. He’s expected to be OK.
Police are looking for a man they say has a neck tattoo, chipped tooth and twists in his hair. He was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt or hoodie, black sweatpants and black shoes.
Councilman Gaffney isn’t the only one calling for an end to the city’s violence. Gun control advocates rallied Tuesday at City Hall demanding new gun laws.
While activists are demanding new gun control measures opponents say the laws to curb the violence are already on the books.
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Eric Friday is a constitutional attorney with Florida Carry he pushes for gun rights. He says the key is to enforce those laws instead of infringing on the rights of law-abiding citizens.
The prayer rally will be held at noon Wednesday at City Hall.
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