JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – Five people were injured in a shooting Saturday night, February 21st, after a physical altercation at an unpermitted beach takeover event escalated into gunfire near the city’s central business district, according to the Jacksonville Beach Police Department.
Officers had been assigned throughout the day to monitor the gathering, which initially drew small crowds and remained peaceful. Police said attendance began increasing later in the evening, and officers intervened when a fight broke out among participants on the beach. As officers worked to disperse the crowd, attendees moved away from the shoreline and into nearby streets and a festival area.
Minutes later, officers patrolling areas identified as potential trouble spots encountered a large disturbance at the intersection of 3rd Street South and 1st Avenue South. During the confrontation, multiple individuals produced firearms and fired at one another, police said…