JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Police said a man in his early 40s died after it appears he was shot inside his car in Northwest Jacksonville Sunday afternoon. Officers responded to the scene on Ken Knight Drive around 12:45 p.m. and were out there for about five hours.
At this time, police have not identified the victim and they said there is no suspect information.
Neighbors we spoke with said they did not know who the man was, and had no info about the house his car was parked in front of. However, community members said it’s a tight-knit street where everyone looks out for each other.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
“I believe that we got to stop at some point. We have to stop because families are hurting,” Thankful Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Philip Mercer said.
Pastor Mercer said he’s a product of the neighborhood he now serves. “Just like any other neighborhood you have the good and the bad, but most of all there’s some great people in this particular community,” Pastor Mercer said. The church is right across the street from Ken Knight drive where police said a man in his 40s was found shot dead inside a car.
We’re told the victim did not live where the car was parked and Police are trying to track the movement of his car before his death.
“It appears that something happened either in the street or in that area and then he drove into where that house was located. The car was moving at that point in time,” JSO Sergeant Mike Russell said. The large scene brought out dozens of neighbors trying to figure out what happened; in that crowd were many kids.
Jelani Allison mentors youth who live in that area. He is the founder of the nonprofit Ghetto Seeds Still Grow. “They see a lot of things, a lot of things that a lot of people don’t realize that they see, a lot of violence,” Allison said.
Allison said it’s sometimes difficult getting folks to speak up when crime like this happens. “It’s important, but it’s definitely hard because the community has to grow trust with the police,” Allison said.
Police are asking the public for help in this case.
If you saw something, you can submit those tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers or call at 1-866-845-TIPS.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.