x
Breaking News
More () »

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office makes arrest in deadly Raines HS football game shooting

Four days after the shooting outside of a Jacksonville high school football game, the sheriff's office says an arrest was made.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.— Four days after a deadly shooting at a high school game in Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office announced an arrest had been made.

A 19-year-old male was killed and two other people were injured in a triple shooting following a high school football game outside the main ticket area at Raines High School in the northwest part of Jacksonville.

The shooting happened around 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24 shortly after the football game.

The Raines Vikings had been playing the Lee Generals. The matchup between the two rival schools has seen problems before. In fact, as a precaution, more than 50 officers and security staff were present at Friday's game. Fans were scanned with metal detecting wands at the gate, but the shooting happened outside the secure area after three-fourths of the fans had already left the game.

Several fights had broken out in the stands the sheriff said during a Tuesday afternoon press conference. 19-year-old Jorad Smith was found dead and had been reportedly ejected from the stands for fighting.

A 17-year-old male who was with Smith was also shot and wounded. He remains in the hospital in stable condition. A 16-year-old female was hit by a stray round and has since been released from the hospital.

The suspect in the shooting has been identified by witnesses and the JSO as 16-year-old Robert Howard who is a student at Grand Park Alternative School. Police don't have a clear motive for the shooting but believe the victims and the suspect had been involved in a prior altercation and are believed to be involved in street gang activity.

Howard faces charges for second-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. The sheriff's office as well as the Jacksonville mayor and state attorney are looking for additional witnesses and information.

In reference to the shooting, the sheriff added, "Get engaged in kids' lives early before they go down this path, we have a lot of work to do in this community."

Related: 1 killed, 2 injured in shooting after Raines High School football game in Jacksonville

►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10 News app now.

Have a news tip? Email tips@wtsp.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.

Before You Leave, Check This Out