Christmas Eve day shootings continue violent stretch in Jacksonville

Jacksonville, FL — A violent stretch in Jacksonville has continued, with several Christmas Eve day shootings.

Since Friday, the city has seen at least nine shootings, in which at least seven people were shot and five others were killed. While some of these are isolated incidents and a few even have someone in custody, JSO says they are investigating whether a couple could be connected.

Details of the ninth incident- a shooting on W 12th Street Monday evening- are not immediately clear, but our partner Action News Jax reports one victim is involved.

One connection so far is tragic for a local family. Action News Jax says the woman who was killed in a triple shooting on Pearl Street overnight is cousins to the victim of a fatal shooting Friday on Hunt Street.

Family has identified the Pearl Street victim as Victoria Wyche. Police say she and two other people were sitting on her porch, when words were exchanged with a group that was walking by and shots were ultimately fired from a man in that group. The two other people who were shot suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Wyche's family says she is the cousin of Nekecheana Phillips, who was fatally shot Friday on Hunt Street. JSO says Phillips had a protective order against her ex-boyfriend, 27-year-old Eric Jackson. Jackson allegedly got in to Phillips' home and waited for her to return, and when she tried to flee, he shot her in a car with other people inside. JSO says Phillips turned himself in.

Beyond the familial relationship, police have not given any indication there is a connection to these shootings.

Two of the shootings happened within a few hours and less than a mile from each other Sunday. In one on Broadway Ave, a man in his mid-30s was fatally shot by several suspects, who possibly fled the scene in a black minivan. Later in the day, police were called to Dennison Street, where two people were shot and a third was hurt in the same incident. Not many details are immediately available about that scene, except that JSO confirms they’re investigating the proximity to the other shooting.

Also near that scene, but on Monday, a man was shot by a homeowner, following a suspected burglary, after which the homeowner confronted the suspect. Police say witnesses have indicated that the men knew each other. All parties in that case were taken in to custody, although the man who was shot was taken to UF Health to be treated for the non-life threatening gunshot.

Another apparent attempted break-in led to a shooting, but this one was Saturday on Attrill Road. JSO says a suspect was fatally shot by a homeowner, because the suspect was breaking windows at the home in order to try to get inside. That led to a confrontation between the suspect and homeowner, at which point JSO says the homeowner shot the man.

Also on Saturday, a man was fatally shot on Sophia Street. Not many details have been released in connection with this incident.

On Monday afternoon on Brockham Drive,police say a woman was shot multiple times and knocked on several neighbors doors in order to get help. She is in critical condition, while a man who owns a home on that street has been taken in to custody.

Specifically in response to questions at Monday’s Woodstock scene, JSO confirmed they would have a higher presence in the area to try to tamp down the violence that we’ve seen through this holiday stretch.

If you have any information about any of these incidents, you’re asked to contact JSO at 904-630-0500 or JSOCrimeTips@jaxsheriff.org. You can also submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.