One dead, two injured after gunman opens fire during St. Patrick’s Day celebrations outside Jacksonville Beach bars

One person was killed and two others injured after a gunman opened fire in the beachfront bar district of Jacksonville Beach, Florida.

A dozen shots rang out, prompting hundreds of people celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on the warm spring evening to rush to the beach to escape the terror.

Both injured victims were hospitalized and are now in stable condition, police confirmed. Their identities, as well as those of the deceased, were not immediately available.

Partygoers ran across the sand in terror as gunshots rang out from the boardwalk.

Police cordoned off an eight-block area and completely closed the beachfront bar district “until further notice” while the suspects remain at large. Officers say they are still trying to determine if there were in fact multiple shooters.

Mayor Christine Hoffman, at a news conference overnight, said the violence could be the result of “several different incidents” that were “potentially unrelated.” She added that the situation was still under active investigation.

The incident happened on the boardwalk near the Jacksonville Beach Pier near 2nd Avenue N and 1st Street N.

“We got here and everyone was safe and the next thing you know, things happened,” the Salt Bar & Restaurant owner told News4Jax.

“People were scared. There were a few people worried about getting shot by indiscriminate bullets, but the boardwalk is a public beach and sometimes people come out who maybe shouldn’t be here.

The Jacksonville Beach Police Department revealed for the first time that it was working an active shooter incident in the downtown area shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday evening.

Law enforcement urged residents in the area to “shelter in place” until the all-clear was given just before 11 p.m. Officers say they are working to obtain descriptions of the suspects.

Sergeant Tonya Tator of the Jacksonville Beach Police Department said aauthorities are still searching for suspects.

“If anyone knows or sees anything, they are asked to call the Jacksonville Beach Police Department,” Tator told reporters, while confirming that the shooting happened “out in the open,” rather than in a bar.

Downtown was busy with many revelers celebrating St. Patrick’s Day and enjoying spring break.

Jacksonville Beach Mayor Christine Hofmann said she was there to show support for the officers. Several agencies were present throughout the region.

Hofmann said business owners acted courageously during a particularly busy weekend.

“There’s a lot going on here. The fact that we had a few bad actors here that really created a dangerous situation for everyone is extremely tragic and unfortunate,” Hoffman told First Coast News.

Law enforcement is on heightened alert across the state of Florida with the popular Spring Break getaway underway.

Earlier this month, Governor DeSantis said 17 law enforcement agencies had requested additional troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol to help patrol their communities due to spring break.

The Jacksonville Beach Police Department, however, was not among them.

If you have any information about the shooting, call the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office at 904-630-0500.