JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Three men have been charged in connection with the killing of a 39-year-old Black man in Jacksonville, Florida.
On May 2, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was alerted to an unconscious individual, and found the victim lying on the ground near a dumpster in downtown Jacksonville with an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced deceased by the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, authorities said.
Multiple shell casings were found in the area and the dumpster had"multiple bullet defects," according to a police report.During the course of the investigation, detectives found evidence that led them to them a possible suspect vehicle in the area where the shooting occurred, the police report says.
Ryan Nichols, 19, was charged Thursday with second-degree murder, according to the sheriff's office. Daniel DeGuardia, 18, and Holden Dodson, 21, have been charged with accessory after the fact in the murder. The three men are white. A judge on Thursday advised DeGuardia and Dodson they may have hate crime charges added to their offense, according to local outlet First Coast News. The judge later told the outlet that she based that upon the allegations that the three white men had been chasing the Black victim for no apparent reason.
However, law enforcement agencies told the outlet there is no information yet that evidences a hate crime.Hate crimes bring heavier penalties, according to Florida statutes. In the state, a crime must evidence"prejudice based on the race, color, ancestry, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, homeless status, or advanced age of the victim" to be considered a hate crime.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
3 suspects charged in shooting death of Black man in JacksonvilleThree men have been charged in connection with the killing of a 39-year-old Black man in Jacksonville, Florida.
Read more »
St. Johns County 19-year-old, 2 others accused in connection with downtown Jacksonville murderBREAKING: According to JSO, a 19-year-old who lives in Fruit Cove has been accused of second-degree murder after a man was found dead Tuesday on West Ashley Street.
Read more »
3 arrested in connection to murder of man found dead in downtown JacksonvilleThree men have been arrested in connection to the murder of a man who was found dead Tuesday morning in downtown Jacksonville.
Read more »
Forbes says Jacksonville is the most dangerous city for motorcyclistsJacksonville’s number of motorcycle deaths grew by 282% from the years 2011 to 2021, according to an article from Forbes citing a decade of research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Read more »