JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — St. Patrick’s Day marks one year since one person was killed and three others were injured in three separate shootings in Jacksonville Beach. The shootings took place during a busy St. Patrick’s Day weekend coupled with people visiting for spring break.

The Jacksonville Beach Police Department is still investigating the shootings. So far, no arrests have been made in the death of 21-year-old James Jones III, and detectives are still following up on leads in the two other shootings.

Stanley Platts II is Jones’ cousin. He said Jones was the life of the party, and was known for his humor.

“He was just a joy to be around. Every time we saw each other it was just hugs and good memories,” Platts recalled.

Jones was just 21 years old and was about to begin his maritime career. Platts said it has been a difficult year for his family.

“We’re trying our best to adjust. We’re a very prayerful family and we’re just trusting God at this point,” Platts said.

The shooting that killed Jones was one of three shootings that night, all happening within an hour of each other. One year later and no one has been arrested in connection to his death. Jacksonville Beach police are still following up on active leads and working with the State Attorney’s Office.

First Coast News Crime and Safety Analyst, Mark Baughman, said this is typical for an investigation of this size.

“You have a bunch of leads you’re following up on. You’re gonna have to have physical evidence, so going back and reviewing every camera bit of footage they can find, a lot of CCTV camera footage out in that area that they’re gonna have to go back and retrace. There’s a lot of things you have to look at, plus the volume and number of people,” Baughman explained.

At the time, the police department and FBI were asking for video footage from that night. Limited details have been released since then, but investigators confirmed at least one suspect was a member of a gang.

“All that has to be fleshed out. These are serious offenses, it takes time. And you want to make sure you charge it properly and you wanna make sure you charge the right people,” Baughman added.

For the last year, First Coast News has asked for an interview with Police Chief Gene Paul Smith to discuss the investigation, but we have not been able to speak with him since these shootings took place. 

While police continue their investigation, the Jones’ family hopes someone will come forward and help them finally find closure. 

“This could be your family, and we have to do a better job as a community to stop trying to hide these things. And if we see things, let’s speak out and let’s make it known so we can stop this from happening to other families,” Platts said.

First Coast Crime Stoppers is still offering a reward for any information that leads to an arrest in this case.