A Jacksonville family mourns Fredrick Hughes, a father of four, killed in a shooting on Soutel Drive on Monday morning.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville family is mourning the loss of a loved one after a deadly shooting on Soutel Drive early Monday morning.
Family members identify the victim of the shooting as 38-year-old Fredrick Hughes. His aunt, Maria Hughes, says she was at the scene just hours after the shooting and is heartbroken over the loss of the man she helped raise.
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According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, officers responded just before 4:30 a.m. to the 5500 block of Soutel Drive after receiving a report of a person shot.
When officers arrived, they found an adult male suffering from a gunshot wound. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue responded and pronounced the victim dead at the scene.
Maria Hughes says Fredrick Hughes was shot while sitting inside his car in the parking lot.
As detectives processed the area, loved ones gathered nearby, crying and comforting each other as they waited for answers.
Hughes says losing Fredrick is especially painful because she helped raise him after his mother died in 1999.
“It’s hard because he wasn’t just my nephew; he was my son as well,” Hughes said. “My older sister and I raised him.”
Hughes says her nephew was a devoted father of four and was excited to become a grandfather for the first time. Now, the family is trying to make sense of losing someone they loved to senseless gun violence.
“These young folks got to learn to put these guns down; they just do senseless things. Life is precious,” said Maria.
JSO says the investigation remains active. Detectives have not announced any suspects or a motive.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office or remain anonymous through Crime Stoppers.