Jacksonville Beach shootings: 1 dead, 2 hurt; police looking for multiple suspects

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. - Police in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, responded to a string of shootings on Sunday evening that left one person dead and two others hospitalized, initially prompting a shelter-in-place alert for area residents. 

Multiple suspected shooters remained on the loose as of early Monday, Jacksonville Beach police told local outlet Action News Jax.

A shelter-in-place was ordered by police initially, but the Jacksonville Beach Police Department later lifted the order just before 11 p.m. local time as officers continued to investigate the shooting near 2nd Avenue North and 1st Street North. 

Police on Monday said a large group of as many as 250 to 400 juveniles had gathered under the pier there as some engaged in boxing matches. 

The first shooting took place when officers began to break up the crowd around 7:50 p.m. Two men fired at each other; both were wounded. A bystander was also hit.

Just after 8 p.m., a male running by a bar in the downtown bar area fired a pistol and ran away.

A few minutes later, a disturbance at Sneakers Bar and Grille ended with gunfire, prompting police to issue an active-shooter alert and lock down the bars in the area.

Officers are pictured at the scene on March 17, 2024, in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. (Credit: WFOX-TV)

Police now say the shootings were unrelated. One of the suspects has ties to a gang, they noted. 

No arrests had been made as of Monday morning.

This story was reported from Los Angeles. Kelly Hayes contributed.