One person is reported to be in critical condition following a shooting at the Bestbet Orange Park cardroom near Jacksonville, Florida, on Wednesday. Orange Park police responded to the late-afternoon shooting, which took place in the parking lot just outside the club's entrance and in which witnesses reported multiple shots were fired.
Local authorities quickly posted that detectives were on-scene and investigating while advising citizens in the vicinity that an "active investigation" was ongoing.
The unnamed victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds but remained conscious long enough to report to police that the shooter had already left the scene. Whether the assailant's identity is already known wasn't revealed by police. "We can confirm the shooting is isolated and occurred in the parking lot of the business," an OPPD statement offered. "There is no current threat to the community. This incident is still in the early stages of its investigation."
Procuring security footage from nearby businesses, in hopes of identifying the shooter or his vehicle, is among the initial steps being taken. One local-news outlet reported that the shooting had taken place inside the room, though that report was incorrect; the victim was found outside the room's entrance soon after players heard the gunfire. The Bestbet Orange Park room soon resumed its poker games as well, according to at least two Jacksonville news outlets.
Bestbet operates three rooms in the greater Jacksonville area. The company runs sites collectively covering the rooms on multiple social-media platforms under its Bestbet Jacksonville accounts, but had offered no public comment or update in the hours immediately following the shooting. Poker.org will offer updates as additional information becomes available.
Featured image source: Facebook / Bestbet Jacksonville
