JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A boy died Friday night in a shooting involving a drug deal in the Sandalwood area of Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said.

JSO said it responded to the scene in the 2200 block of Mareeba Road East near Wahine Drive North around 9:10 p.m., where they found three victims with gunshot wounds: two boys and a man in his 20s. The exact ages of the boys are not yet known.

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Police said one boy was found in the middle of the intersection with multiple gunshot wounds, and they also found the man in his 20s with multiple gunshot wounds inside a car parked at the intersection, and another boy with one gunshot wound.

It’s unclear if that boy was also inside the car. All three people were taken to the hospital, and the boy who had multiple gunshot wounds later died.

The incident is believed to have stemmed from a drug transaction that escalated into gunfire, JSO said.

Investigators said they found between 40 to 50 shell casings at the scene, along with a lot of drugs on the road.

READ: Community mourns Jacksonville musician shot and killed in road rage incident 

Action News Jax asked what type of drugs were found and JSO Homicide Unit Sergeant Highfill said there was a lot of marijuana and synthetic marijuana.

What was supposed to be a relaxing Friday night for Joe Deluca, was anything but.

“I heard, I’m just guessing, 10 shots like rapid fire. Then it stopped for 10-15 seconds then I heard a rapid fire again of 6 or 7 shots,” Deluca said.

Deluca immediately went outside and saw a car crashed into a stop sign at the intersection. He drove down the road and found a man inside of the car. 

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“They couldn’t fully talk or get out of the car or anything like that … I turned around and tried to pull up again and that’s when I saw the windshield of the open door and I was like that was a gun shot. You can see there was a bullet in the window,” Deluca said. “As I pulled my phone out to call 911, the cops all started already pulling in and that’s when I saw the guy I drove right past laying on the curb.”

Deluca said the violence needs to end.

“It’s the youth of today including the adults of today. It’s just terrible how people are acting,” Deluca said.

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Highfill said detectives are investigating the incident in coordination with the State Attorney’s Office and the Medical Examiner’s Office.

The relationships between the parties involved in the shooting are currently unknown, but multiple witnesses are cooperating with the investigation. JSO said that this is an isolated incident and there is no ongoing danger.

JSO is urging anyone with information about the incident to contact them at 904-630-0500 or through Crimestoppers at 866-845-TIPS.

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