This story was updated at 9 a.m., Thursday, November 7.

This past Friday, police responded to a shooting at the Jacksonville Beach Skate Park. Jacksonville Beach Police Department (JBPD) are searching for the 16-year old suspect, Lendall Wade Brooks, and say that a felony arrest warrant was issued with the charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. 

Police say the victim endured a non-life threatening single shot in the arm and was taken to the hospital. Local detectives are interviewing witnesses to get details on what happened and why. They are also still gathering information about the suspect.

A UNF student says he went to the skate park right after the incident. 

“It seemed like a regular day at the park other than the yellow caution tape. People were skating as usual and didn’t mention anything to me about it when I walked up. It wasn’t until I asked that someone told me a high schooler had shot another guy. Apparently it was a fight that escalated and someone had a gun in their waist. People were mostly complaining about not being able to skate in the part of the park that was roped off. When I asked the cop what happened they wouldn’t tell me, and they made everyone in the park leave. I skated the park for only about 10 minutes while they swept the area and there were about 20 other skaters there,” Senior Vincent Dalessio said.

There was also a video taken and posted on Instagram in which it appears that several people are fighting, with one individual being dragged. In the video, one of the fighters reaches to their waist and you can hear what sounds like a gunshot just as they fall out of frame. 

“This happening was such a bad representation of the skate park and skateboarders. Real skateboarders don’t go to the park to find trouble or cause any,” Dalessio said.

Another skater commented on the incident. 

“The skate park is supposed to be a safe place. There’s a playground beside it with kids around and fields for sports. It is supposed to be a positive place and we don’t take it for granted, but some of us live lifestyles with some negative aspects. But that doesn’t, and shouldn’t, reflect on all skaters because at the end of the day we’re just there to skate,” says Freshman Aaron Black. 

If anyone has any information on the whereabouts of the suspect, please contact the Jacksonville Beach Police Department at 904-270-1661 or by email at [email protected].

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