Authorities have taken the children’s father into custody, with investigators suspecting that the tragic shooting was sparked by a domestic altercation. The case is still under active investigation.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A sense of shock and sorrow hangs over a Jacksonville community following a heartbreaking incident where a 4-year-old girl was killed and her 2-year-old sister, along with their mother, sustained critical injuries in a shooting.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, officers were dispatched to Traci Lynn Drive, near Dunn Avenue, at around 5 p.m. on Tuesday in response to reports of gunfire.
Upon arrival, law enforcement found a 4-year-old girl, a 2-year-old girl, and their 27-year-old mother with gunshot wounds. Tragically, the 4-year-old was declared deceased at the scene. The mother and younger daughter were rushed to the hospital, where they underwent emergency surgeries due to their grave injuries.
Shortly after the incident, the children’s father was apprehended by investigators. It is believed that the shooting was linked to a domestic argument. Officials have not yet released the identities of those involved.
For neighbor Dauntte Bent, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than two decades, Tuesday evening is something she says she will never forget.
“I heard gunshots, and I got up immediately, ran to the window, and I looked out the window, and I seen a guy standing in the yard with a gun in his hand,” said Bent.
Bent said she immediately called 911 before running outside to help.
“When I saw him, as I said, I ran. I got my clothes back on, and I ran downstairs and came outside. He was gone. He took off in the car. He took off already. It looked like he was trying to reload, but it didn’t happen,” Bent said.
She said when she reached the home, she heard a family member desperately calling for help while the children’s mother fought for her life.
“She was talking to the young lady laying on the ground and telling her to breathe, keep breathing, and then she was like ‘Oh my gosh, the kids,’ and when she opened the door, she discovered one of the kids was hit.”
Bent said the reality of what she witnessed quickly overwhelmed her.
“I started crying because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing; I couldn’t believe it,” Bent said.
She says the violence has shaken a neighborhood she has long considered peaceful.
“About 24 years living in this neighborhood, when something like this, this close to home. It didn’t feel real,” Bent said.
She hopes others experiencing domestic violence will seek help before it’s too late.
“If you can find a way out, try and get out. “You got family members who love you and friends who can encourage you to get out from that kind of situation. Try your best to get out,” Bent said.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says the investigation remains active.
First Coast News is working to learn more about the conditions of the mother and the 2-year-old.