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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Police are looking for information about the shots that exploded Sunday during a youth football jamboree in a Mandarin park, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday.
The request for information came just hours before the parents of the youth football players met with the Mandarin Athletic Association to assess whether the spring football season will be canceled.
Shortly after 4:30 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to shots fired at Greenland Park, where about 500 players and fans gathered for youth football games.
Investigators said during the jamboree there was a dispute between spectators. Investigators said a man was displaying a semi-automatic-style rifle and at some point several shots were fired.
Although no casualties have been identified, the incident “could have had dire consequences,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
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“This could have been a very, very terrible, very bad situation if the gun had been fired at these children,” said Ken Jefferson, a crime and security expert at News4Jax.
According to the parents, there was no security in Greeland Park at the time of the incident. A police report shows that several officers, two K-9 units and the JSO helicopter responded to the scene.
The sheriff’s office said that “in talking to the promoter of the event, investigators have had very little cooperation or success in identifying potential victims and witnesses to the incident,” so officers are asking for help from the public. Police said they were trying to identify the gunman, who was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and a red belt.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the sheriff’s office by calling 904-630-0500 or emailing [email protected]. To maintain anonymity, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS (8477).
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The jamboree was organized by the Mandarin Athletic Association and more than two dozen parents gathered Tuesday evening with members of the association to discuss whether this spring’s youth football season will be canceled. The meeting closed in the media, but one parent spoke to News4Jax about what happened.
“They were apologizing and basically leaving it up to the parents how they would decide to move forward with the season,” said mother Sabrina Brown. “I already sent my message to the coach saying my son wouldn’t come back.”
News4Jax was told that the parents had planned to return home and make their decision, and if most parents do not allow their child to return, the association will cancel the spring season because there would not be enough players to compete. Parents like Brown would also be reimbursed for the money they paid in advance for their son to participate in spring football. But if they have enough children to keep up with the spring season, the association will make sure all games are safe.
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“We would have to pay extra, possibly at the door, to pay for that security,” Brown said.
That cost would be per person walking through the door and Brown said this can add up when large families come to the games.
“It already cost $ 5 a piece, which doesn’t seem like much, but if you have your grandparents with you and other kids with you, siblings who don’t play, that can add up pretty quickly,” he said.
On Tuesday earlier, News4Jax learned that parents were also told that the South Elite Youth Football League wanted the parks to be responsible for safety. As of Tuesday night, ESYFL had not returned News4Jax’s comment request.
Sunday was the first game of 10 for the kids participating in the league.
One of the coaches told News4Jax that the last two days have been tough with everyone who witnessed what happened during the jamboree. The Mandarin Athletic Association also announced at the Tuesday evening meeting that a mourning counselor will be available free of charge to any child or adult who is traumatized by Sunday’s incident.
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