Jacksonville's Violent Halloween Weekend: 2 Killed, 11 Wounded at Separate Parties, Plus a Deadly Eastside Shooting and a Police Shooting

Two shootings at separate Halloween parties in Jacksonville early Sunday, Nov. 1, killed a 17-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man and wounded 11 other people, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said. Hours later, a man was shot to death on the Eastside, and that evening officers shot an armed man at an apartment complex near River City Marketplace, capping a weekend of gunfire across the city. No arrests had been announced in the party shootings as of Monday morning.

Shooting outside a party on Arlington Expressway

The first shooting happened at about 1:42 a.m. Sunday in the 6200 block of Arlington Expressway, near Southside Boulevard, where people were waiting in line to get into a Halloween party at a venue, according to JSO. Detectives said a fight broke out among people in line, and gunfire followed.

Three people were shot. A 17-year-old girl, who was reportedly shot outside the venue, died. Two others were wounded; one was taken to a hospital by Jacksonville Fire and Rescue and the other drove to a hospital, and both are expected to recover, FOX 13 reported.

JSO Commander Jacob Vorpahl said, "It appears that all three of the victims that were shot were unintended targets and not involved in the dispute," Action News Jax reported. Investigators believe at least two young men in dark clothing who approached on foot fired the shots. Police have not released further descriptions.

House party in Durkeeville

About two hours later, shortly before 4 a.m., gunfire broke out at a house party near West Fifth and Wilcox streets in the Durkeeville area. Police said the party had drawn between 100 and 200 people and had spilled into the street when a fight started.

Police said there was "an initial round of gunfire at the party somewhere on the street," WTSP reported. Vorpahl described two volleys of gunfire in all, with the second, which followed quickly, believed to have struck most of the victims. Ten people were shot. A 20-year-old man was taken to a hospital, where he died. Nine others were wounded, including a 15-year-old girl, with the remaining injured ranging in age from 20 to 25, according to WTSP. One of the wounded was in life-threatening condition, police said, while the 15-year-old was listed in stable condition Sunday morning. The nine injured all got to hospitals on their own, FOX 13 reported.

Police have not said how many people fired. Vorpahl said the investigation "is going to be very dependent on people who are at the scene," and JSO asked partygoers to come forward with information and video.

JSO has not publicly identified either person killed at the parties, or any of the wounded.

Man killed on East 27th Street

Late Sunday afternoon, at about 5:30 p.m., officers were called to the 1500 block of East 27th Street on the Eastside, where a man had been shot. Responders gave him medical care, but he died, police said. Action News Jax described him as a man in his 20s, the third person killed in shootings across the city that weekend.

Police said the shooting was initially reported as a domestic incident. Homicide detectives and the State Attorney's Office are investigating, and several people were detained for questioning. Police said Sunday night they were still searching for a suspect and gathering video and witness statements. The man has not been publicly identified.

Officers shoot armed man near River City Marketplace

At about 6 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to an apartment complex near River City Marketplace in North Jacksonville, close to Jacksonville International Airport, after reports of gunfire, according to JSO as reported by Action News Jax. While officers were speaking with a woman, they heard more shots.

Police said a man stepped out of a dark area, ignored commands to stop and show his hands, and climbed a set of stairs at the complex. Police said he pulled a gun and turned toward the officers, and two officers fired. The man was taken into custody and hospitalized with what police described as life-threatening injuries. No officers were hurt. His name has not been released, and JSO has not announced charges.

JSO has published critical incident briefings after previous officer-involved shootings, most recently on Oct. 28 for a police shooting on Oct. 11.

Other weekend shootings

The weekend's violence began before the Halloween parties. Early Saturday, officers dispersing a large crowd on Atlantic Boulevard heard a gunshot and found a woman who had been shot. That night, a man was wounded on 103rd Street on the Northside, and several people were detained. Police have not reported arrests in either case. The table below lists the shootings JSO investigated over the weekend, according to Action News Jax:

Sheriff's response

Sheriff T.K. Waters said, "I am saddened by the heinous acts of violence our community endured this weekend," adding, "Violence has no place in Jacksonville." JSO held four separate media briefings on Sunday alone as the incidents mounted, Action News Jax reported.

Detectives from JSO's Robbery and Violent Crime Unit are interviewing witnesses, collecting surveillance video and following leads in the party shootings, according to police.

What's next

JSO is asking anyone with information about any of the shootings to call its non-emergency line at 904-630-0500. Tips can be made anonymously to First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS, and tips that lead to an arrest may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000. The Florida Press will update this story when JSO identifies the people killed or announces arrests or charges.