UPDATE: After conducting an investigation, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office issued a statement declaring that the Avenues Mall did not present any danger. According to JSO, the first complaint came in when a shopper at the mall noticed someone they thought was dressed inappropriately and reported it. For instance, a tactical vest worn over other attire or an outfit that mimics fatigues is both examples. The shopping center requested JSO to search the building for security purposes, which resulted in the building being cleared of customers and personnel. After searching, the officers apparently did not uncover anything, including anyone dressed in the manner that the caller had described.
ORIGINAL STORY: Avenues Mall Shooting Today – Over two dozen enforcement officers are responding to a report of a shooting at Avenues Mall in Jacksonville, Florida on Monday, April 3rd, 2023. The Jacksonville Police Department says that officers were sent to a shopping center located at 10300 Southside Blvd, Jacksonville, Florida, after reports of shots being fired in the area. At the time this report was made, it was not clear if the shooting hurt or killed anyone. People are asked to stay away from the area while authorities look into what happened.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office confirmed at this time that the department is responding to a call of a possible bomb threat at the Avenues Mall. Responding officers stated that nothing has been found at this time. Witnesses claim that the mall is being evacuated. Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said the decision to evacuate would be up to the business. The is currently a large officer presence at the mall.
RELATED ARTICLE: Employee killed in workplace shooting near Avenues Mall
After the second workplace shooting in the area in 2016, police said that one employee was arrested and another is deceased. At about 7 a.m., police discovered a dead employee at B&L Landscaping, and a man was reportedly detained on Spaner Road, a few streets away from the company. Police reported that people were leaving for work at the time of the incident. Witnesses claimed they observed a different employee leave the establishment brandishing a gun and ordering the shooter to put down his firearm.
According to witnesses, the shooter then left the scene as if nothing had happened. An individual who was picking up his mother-in-law reported that it occurred next to a storage shed where the business keeps equipment. According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the victim and the suspect were coworkers. The victim, according to witnesses, was a supervisor who had worked there since the 1980s. Several blocks away, the shooter was peacefully taken into custody by police. The location is secure, according to JSO, and the investigation is ongoing.
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