On Tuesday, the Jacksonville Beach Police Department identified James Jones III, who was killed in one of three shootings in the downtown pub area on Sunday. An ambulance took 21-year-old James Jones III to the hospital after he was shot around 8:30 p.m. on Sunday.
The incident occurred in a sports restaurant parking lot on Beach Boulevard near 1st Street North. At the hospital, he died. On Sunday, Spring Break and The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach disrupted a popular St. Patrick’s Day holiday in Jacksonville Beach. The fatal gunshot was one of three recorded within 40 minutes.
Police said the original incident, reported at 7:50 p.m. outside a 1st Street hotel, injured three people, including the two males who shot at one other. An innocent out-of-town onlooker was also injured. A bystander and one shooter were taken to the hospital, while the other, a “certified gang member,” took himself.
Their situation remains unknown. Although no arrests have been made, police are hunting for three young individuals who may have been engaged in the shooting. They carry handguns, rifles, or AR-type weapons and wear black attire. Sunday saw a ski-masked guy shoot a bar on Third Avenue while strolling by.
No one was hurt, and the gun was found later, according to Jacksonville Beach Police. Investigators are also examining municipal CCTV video to find possible shooters and anybody interested in the event. The Jacksonville Beach police department said that 250 to 400 late teens and early 20s were supposed to meet beneath the pier on Sunday.
According to Jacksonville Beach Police Chief Gene Paul Smith, police broke up the crowd when people started fighting. Violence started as the crowd dispersed. The Sunday shooting 911 calls were released by police on Tuesday. They also said CCTV video showed several people in the parking lot when Jones was shot. The gunfire involved three men, according to authorities.
Guns were drawn during a “disturbance”. One person shot and murdered Jones. Those in the parking lot, along the boardwalk, or with smartphone footage should contact the Jacksonville Beach Police Department at 904-270-1661. The police also want to set up a way for anyone to submit film from that evening to help the investigation.
