One person has reportedly lost his life while two others were injured during the St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
The police are currently searching for multiple shooters in the downtown area, which was crowded with holiday revelers and spring breakers. Sgt. Tonya Tator, a spokesperson for the city police, provided this information during a press conference.
Mayor Christine Hoffman stated that while the violence may have stemmed from different incidents, the exact cause is still under investigation.
“There were several different incidents that were … potentially unrelated,” she said at a separate news conference. “So we want to know as much as we can find out.”
Tator said the injured were stabilized at medical facilities. Information about the two, as well as about the deceased, such as age and gender, was not available.
The violence was initially reported as an active shooter incident, but subsequent investigations did not reveal any shots being fired.
Despite the majority of the crowd being in bars and restaurants, the incident took place in a public area, as stated by Tater. WJXT, a Jacksonville NBC affiliate, reported that the nightlife district was closed by authorities as detectives continued their investigation.
Tater also mentioned that the city’s beachfront was closed in response to the violence. The City of Jacksonville Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security Division announced on social media that the shelter-in-place order for the area was lifted shortly before 11 p.m.
