JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Westside High School on Jacksonville’s Westside was on lockdown Thursday morning, as the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to a deadly shooting that happened nearby.

Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) confirmed with First Coast News the high school was on lockdown “out of an abundance of caution” due to police activity in the area. 

“I get nervous man, I’m thinking, ‘What?’ But, I’m thinking I’m tweaking,” said Westside High Senior Juhtay Mixson.

Mixson says he heard what sounded like gunshots on his walk to school. When he found his friends as he got closer to the school, he learned they’d heard the same thing.

“I’m coming up to the school and we see police everywhere,” said Mixson.

JSO Sergeant Steve Rudlaff said that at approximately 7:45 a.m., patrol officers responded to 122 West, an apartment complex located in the 5500 block of Firestone Road, in reference to a person shot. When they arrived, they found a man, who is between 30-35 years old, shot multiple times.

First responders with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department then responded to the scene, according to Rudlaff, and pronounced the man dead.

Witnesses told the sheriff’s office they heard the gunshots and saw multiple Black males running from the apartment, according to Rudlaff.

“The age range [of the males] is going to be fluctuate from either teenage up to 20s, but we’re not sure yet at this point,” Rudlaff told First Coast News. “At this point, the males ran southbound on Firestone Road.”

Rudlaff said the man lived at the apartment complex and that he was shot inside one of the apartments; he added that a majority of buildings on the apartment complex’s property are “vacant.”

Furthermore, JSO said it has several people detained, and is working with Duval County Public School Police in the investigation into the incident, and that Westside High is not involved in the investigation.

The school’s lockdown ended around 10:30 a.m.

“Kids probably think they feel safe,” said Mixson. “They probably can’t even feel safe because there’s so much going on. They probably think, ‘I have to move to this school or move to that school,’ but they just have to make these schools safer I feel like.”

Below are two messages DCPS sent to families of Westside High School students:

Hello, Westside High School families, this is Duval County Public Schools. First, I want to assure you that all students and staff are safe. Again, all students and staff are safe. However, the school is currently on lockout status due to police activity in the area. Again, Westside High School is on lockout due to police activity in a neighborhood near the school. If there is a change to the situation, we will keep you informed. Thank you. Good-bye.

Hello Westside High families. The school remains on a lockout as a precaution due to police activity in the neighborhood of the school. This police activity is unrelated to the school. All students and staff are safe. We will notify you when there is an update to the lockout status. Thank you for your patience!”

Anyone with information on the deadly shooting is asked to call JSO’s non-emergency number at 904-630-0500. To provide information anonymously, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.