Two Killed and 11 Wounded in Two Halloween Party Shootings in Jacksonville, Sheriff's Office Says

Two people are dead and at least 11 others were wounded in two separate shootings at Halloween gatherings in Jacksonville early Sunday, the Florida Times-Union reported from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office's account. The first shooting came about 1:42 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, in the 6200 block of Arlington Expressway, where a 17-year-old girl was killed and two other people were wounded.

All three were "unintended targets," Cmdr. Jacob Vorpahl of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said during a news media briefing, as quoted by the Times-Union. They were among a group of people lined up to get into a nearby Halloween event when a dispute broke out and escalated into gunfire, he said. Arriving officers found the teen dead at the scene; the second victim had a gunshot wound and was in stable condition when taken to the hospital, and the third victim had already taken themself to the hospital, Vorpahl said. Police are searching for two shooters believed to be wearing black clothing, he said.

In the second shooting, gunfire erupted about 3:45 a.m. Sunday near the intersection of Wilcox and West 5th streets, where a house party of 100 to 200 people was underway and had extended outside onto the streets, Vorpahl said. A 20-year-old man was shot dead there and nine others were wounded, including a 15-year-old girl; all of the others wounded were between 20 and 25 years old, he said.

No arrests had been reported in either shooting as of mid-morning Sunday, the Times-Union reported. Anyone with information about the shootings can contact the Sheriff's Office at (904) 630-0500 or email JSOCrimeTips@jaxsheriff.org. To remain anonymous and be eligible for rewards at First Coast Crime Stoppers, call (866) 845-8477, text **8477 or email rewards@fccrimestoppers.com; Crime Stoppers recently increased its base reward to $5,000.