Authorities in Florida are currently looking for 24-year-old Jahfahree Prince Edwards, who is a person of interest in a shooting that occurred near a local high school on February 14th. A video released by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office on their Facebook page allegedly shows Edwards opening fire on several teens during a fight.
The incident reportedly started as a fight between two girls, with one of them calling Edwards to the scene. As he arrived, he allegedly started shooting at the teens involved. Surveillance footage from the scene shows students frantically running for cover with backpacks on their shoulders. Edwards can also allegedly be seen firing at moving cars as students try to flee the area.
According to FOX13, this event is unfortunately not an isolated incident. It is just one of many in a string of youth gun violence that has been occurring. Freddy Barton, the executive director of Safe & Sound Hillsborough, a teen gun violence prevention program, expressed his frustration, saying, “When incidents like this happen, it takes the wind out of our sails. We’re wondering, ‘How much more do we have to do to really get this message out to people, to our kids and young adults, that you don’t have to pick up firearms in response to anger or a temporary situation?'”
Barton’s organization has been working to address the issue of youth gun violence for the past 18 months, and has successfully graduated 44 teens from their program. He believes this number shows the necessity of such programs and the importance of parental involvement in preventing these situations. “We’re trying to get to our parents to let them know that you have a role to play. Find out what’s going on with your child so that you two can help defuse situations before they escalate out of control,” Barton stated.
The sheriff’s office is asking for the public’s help in locating Edwards, and anyone with information is urged to come forward. In the meantime, authorities are emphasizing the need for a community effort in addressing youth gun violence. “We need to work together as a community to end this cycle of violence and make our schools and neighborhoods safe for our children,” the sheriff’s office captioned the surveillance video on their Facebook page.
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HCSO is seeking your help in finding a wanted suspect, Jahfahree Prince Edwards, for firing a firearm at several teens down the street from Spoto High School.
If anyone has any information please contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. pic.twitter.com/rCx6mvGEAJ— HCSO (@HCSOSheriff) February 23, 2024
It is disheartening to see such frequent instances of youth gun violence, and it serves as a reminder of the importance of addressing the root causes of this issue. Parents, community leaders, and law enforcement must work together to provide support and resources to at-risk youth in order to prevent these tragic events from occurring. As Barton said, “We can all play a part in ending youth gun violence, and it starts with paying attention and taking action.”
You can take the savage out of the jungle but you cannot take the jungle out of the savage!
The usual suspects.
Unless you change their upbringing and culture, things will not improve.
Unless you totally hang such perps out to dry, it will only get worse. Show results by example. We have laws on the books. Its just that Democrat DAs ignore them. Fire the DAs for not doing their jobs then put someone in that will.