Police said a juvenile and three adults were wounded and are expected to survive.
JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FL — Four people, including a juvenile, were shot Saturday evening during an unpermitted “takeover” gathering near the Community First Seawalk Music Festival, police and city officials said. Investigators said all four victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and no arrests were announced by late Saturday night.
City leaders said the shooting rattled one of the region’s busiest oceanfront corridors as thousands of visitors were in the area for the Seawalk festival. Police described the violence as tied to a separate, unauthorized crowd event that drew groups of teens and young adults to nearby streets. The gunfire forced a swift shutdown of festival activity for the night, snarled traffic along Beach Boulevard and A1A, and set off a multi-agency search for suspects as officers asked witnesses to come forward.
Authorities said the shooting unfolded near Beach Boulevard and Third Street as crowds packed restaurants and sidewalks a short walk from the festival site. Jacksonville Beach Police Sgt. Tonya Tator said an altercation broke out among a group of people and shots were fired. She said a juvenile and three adults were hit. The victims were taken for treatment, and officials said the injuries were not expected to be life-threatening.
As word spread, businesses along the strip moved customers inside and locked doors. A local employee who asked not to be identified said workers rushed people away from windows and pulled down gates. “We made everybody get behind the bars,” the employee said. “We shut down two hours early. This is a huge night, but there’s things that are more important than keeping a business open. Everybody needs to be safe.”
Police said the crowd event was not part of the Seawalk festival and was not permitted. Jacksonville Beach Mayor Christine “Chris” Hoffman said at a briefing that the takeover event was separate from the festival and that the city would look for ways to hold organizers accountable. “I want to make no mistake, there was a separate takeover event that was not permitted,” Hoffman said. She added that the city would pursue accountability “as we possibly can,” while investigators worked to identify who fired the shots.
Officials did not immediately release the names or ages of the four people who were shot, and they did not say whether the victims were connected to the altercation that happened just before the gunfire. Police also did not say where the victims were located when they were hit, whether the shots were fired from the street or a nearby lot, or what kind of firearms were used. Officers remained on scene for hours as investigators marked evidence, interviewed witnesses, and reviewed video from nearby businesses.
Authorities said they were treating the night as multiple investigations because of the size of the crowd and the fast-moving reports coming in around the same time. Police temporarily closed parts of Third Street South and directed drivers around the beachside business district, warning people to avoid the area while the scene was processed. On social media and in news alerts, police urged anyone with information, photos, or video from the area to contact investigators.
Investigators said they were still working to determine exactly how many people fired weapons. Police said they believed there may have been more than one shooter, a key detail that can complicate early witness statements because people often describe shots coming from different directions in a crowded setting. Authorities did not announce any arrests Saturday night, and they did not release a suspect description or a vehicle description.
The shooting added to rising local concern about so-called takeover events, gatherings often promoted online that draw large groups to public places without permits. In the Jacksonville area, the term has been used in recent weeks to describe surges of teens converging on popular spots, sometimes leading to fights, property damage, or police calls. Two days before the Jacksonville Beach shooting, community members gathered at Friendship Fountain in Jacksonville for a vigil focused on teen violence, reflecting a wider debate about safety, supervision, and enforcement when crowds gather quickly after social media promotions.
Saturday’s violence also put fresh attention on how coastal cities handle public safety during major events. The Seawalk festival draws large crowds to an area with narrow streets, limited parking, and a mix of families, tourists, and late-night bar traffic. When an unauthorized event forms nearby, police must juggle crowd control, traffic closures, and emergency medical response while trying to secure a shooting scene and preserve evidence. Even when injuries are not life-threatening, officials say the sudden panic can lead to stampedes, crashes, and additional calls that stretch staffing.
At the briefing, Hoffman said the city would not accept violence in the beach community. Police said they would continue to increase patrols and track online chatter around planned gatherings, while emphasizing that enforcement alone cannot prevent every incident when a fight escalates quickly and someone brings a gun. Officers asked witnesses who ran during the chaos to share what they saw, including the start of the argument and where people fled after shots were fired.
Festival organizers and city officials said the Community First Seawalk Music Festival was shut down for the night as officers cleared the area and tried to separate the permitted festival crowd from the unpermitted gathering nearby. Officials said the festival was expected to resume Sunday at noon, as scheduled, with an increased law enforcement presence and traffic control in place. City leaders said they would review event security plans and discuss additional measures for future weekends that attract large crowds to the beach.
Near the oceanfront, the scene shifted from music and foot traffic to flashing lights and police tape. A local teen who was near the area when shots rang out described hearing a rapid burst of gunfire, saying, “We hear pop pop pop pop.” A nearby resident, Liam Kilty, said he lives across the street from the festival grounds and worries that shootings are becoming too common. He said the repeated headlines are unsettling for students and families who spend time at the beach corridor, especially during major events.
By early Sunday, police had not released an arrest update or a detailed suspect description, and investigators said the number of shooters remained under review. Authorities said the next milestone would be follow-up briefings after detectives finish interviews, review surveillance video, and analyze evidence collected at the scene.
Author note: Last updated February 22, 2026.