JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — Father of five, Mark McCrary was playing football outside with his kids when they all heard something that wasn’t in the playbook.
Several gunshots in the Jacksonville Beach area around 9 p.m. Saturday night left many concerned.
McCrary said he heard two different rounds of gunfire, saying there was a brief pause before he heard more.
He gave Action News Jax reporter Ben Ryan the security footage from his front yard, showing him outside with his kids before they quickly went inside.
“It sounded to us like it was someone firing at someone and someone retaliating,” McCrary said.
Jacksonville Beach Police confirmed they responded to gunfire, but said there’s no exact location.
Neighbors say based on what they heard and saw, it happened in the general area of 6th and 8th Avenue South.
This all happens at the same time Orange Crush is in town. In an emailed response to Action News Jax reporter Ben Ryan, Jacksonville Beach mayor Chris Hoffman said police responded immediately but were unable to identify a suspect and the assumption was shots fired in the air.
The mayor said in part:
“Can’t conclude if it was Orange Crush related without knowing who did it but I’m grateful no one was hurt.”
More security video was given to Action News Jax, this time by an unidentified neighbor. His video oversees the 6th Avenue South Park. A peaceful walk down the street for many turned chaotic. The neighbor also gave permission to use a second video, where police can be seen speeding down the street in response.
The neighbor didn’t want to speak on camera but gave us a quote saying in part: “I counted eight gunshots, followed by a pause and another five gunshots and watched the people react in the parking lot here. They reacted the same way, getting behind their cars.
As for McCrary, he said he wasn’t going to take any chances, reminding his kids to stay calm. He, among many neighbors, said it’s extremely rare to hear gunfire in the area.
“That’s what’s so odd, it’s just not a usual occurrence for us,” McCrary said. “We knew exactly what it was so it was time to get out of there.”
Jacksonville Beach Police Sergeant Tanya Tator said in an emailed response to Action News Jax:
“We did have a call last night around 9:02 pm about shots fired (in regards to the videos). However, officers did not find anyone when they got there. No injuries and no arrest made.”
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