JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – Five people were injured in a shooting Saturday night, February 21st, after a physical altercation at an unpermitted beach takeover event escalated into gunfire near the city’s central business district, according to the Jacksonville Beach Police Department.
Officers had been assigned throughout the day to monitor the gathering, which initially drew small crowds and remained peaceful. Police said attendance began increasing later in the evening, and officers intervened when a fight broke out among participants on the beach. As officers worked to disperse the crowd, attendees moved away from the shoreline and into nearby streets and a festival area.
Minutes later, officers patrolling areas identified as potential trouble spots encountered a large disturbance at the intersection of 3rd Street South and 1st Avenue South. During the confrontation, multiple individuals produced firearms and fired at one another, police said.
Four juveniles and one adult were struck by gunfire. All five victims were transported to Jacksonville-area hospitals with injuries described as non-life threatening. Authorities said the victims were reported to be in stable condition or had been released from medical care.
An officer’s report indicated that about 130 participants were present around 7 p.m., and the event had been calm for several hours. Police monitored the gathering using drones and deployed more than two dozen officers around the pier and nearby walkovers. Officers had begun clearing the area shortly after sunset, moving the crowd south and west of Beach Boulevard with approximately 30 to 35 officers.
Gunfire erupted as officers were repositioning near Second Street around a McDonald’s restaurant, where roughly 20 officers were already in the vicinity. Officers were within close proximity when shots were fired but lost sight of the shooters as the crowd fled. Officers immediately began providing aid to victims.
Police located four shooting victims at the scene. A fifth victim, described as a passing motorist not involved in the disturbance, was also struck and transported to a hospital by a driver.
Investigators recovered three firearms discarded on the ground and a fourth weapon from a detained individual nearby. Earlier in the day, officers had confiscated two additional guns from suspects, according to the report. The crime scene extended roughly five blocks along A1A near Beach Boulevard, prompting multiple road closures.
Jacksonville Beach Police detectives and crime scene investigators continue to investigate the incident. The department thanked the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for assisting with the response and investigation.
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