Around 9:20 a.m. Tuesday morning, District 3 patrol officers responded to the Gate gas station for an armed robbery call. Minutes before the officers arrived, a middle age white male walked into the gas station. He waited for the other customers to leave before he pulled out a handgun in front of the employees. The suspect instructed them to exit the store and call police. The suspect made comments about wanting to harm himself.

While the employees were outside, the suspect opened the door and threatened to come out shooting before closing the door again. When officers arrived, he made comments to the officers he would shoot. He opened the door, raised his gun, and started walking quickly to the officers. One officer fired his rifle multiple times, hitting the suspect. The suspect, who has not been identified at this time, passed away at the scene.

The officer who fired the shots is Officer H. Cascante. No officers were injured.

This is the sixth officer-involved shooting this year for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

The State Attorney’s Office is on scene, completing its investigation. Once its investigation is complete, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office will conduct its own investigation.

To watch the standup at the scene, please click on the following link: JSO's YouTube Channel 

Information, as it becomes available regarding this officer-involved shooting, will be posted on JSO's Transparency Page.