An arrest has been made in the weekend’s deadly shooting outside Whispers Oysters & Crabhouse on Philips Highway, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office announced.
It started with a birthday celebration and fight inside the 8206 Philips Highway bar Saturday night, Oct. 4, that ended with 30-year-old Trevian Allen Tobias Jackson being shot multiple times, according to the arrest report. Mark Randall Gordon, 42, of Green Cove Springs was arrested a couple of days later.
Police were called about 9:30 p.m. to the Baymeadows Junction plaza where more than a dozen spent shell casings ― both 40-caliber and 10mm ― remained in the parking lot along with the victim’s car, wallet and an empty Smith and Wesson pistol magazine, the report said. The victim had already been taken to a hospital, but several witnesses spoke with investigators at the scene and afterward.
Following is their accounts per the arrest report.
One witness said he was outside smoking when the restaurant owner came out to get security due to a fight inside. He then saw a man with dreadlocks, wearing black shorts and a patterned black shirt, come out and grab something from a vehicle. He saw him walk over to a group of three people yelling at them and clutching his waistband before the shooting.
Another witness said she was sitting at the bar with another woman and the suspect was sitting next to them. They engaged in casual conversation, but when he got up to go to the bathroom, the victim came over to them and sat down in the man’s chair. When the man returned, they got into a verbal altercation, and he punched the victim.
The fight was broken up, and the victim and suspect both left. A few minutes later the witness said she was told about the shooting. When she felt it was safe to leave, she said she was approached by the suspect outside and he gave her his car key asking her to drive to the liquor store across the street to pick him up. She agreed and got into his car and that’s when police arrived and detained her.
A bartender said she remembers only serving the victim and his group two drinks each and they did not appear to be intoxicated. She didn’t know what the fight was about but said the suspect wouldn’t let up. She said he left first and then was followed a short time later by the group.
Another witness said he went outside and observed the suspect arguing with the group of friends and then saw the victim to into the backseat of his vehicle and retrieve a gun. He said the victim’s friends tried to calm him down. He also saw the suspect with a gun so went back inside.
Friends of the victim had similar accounts and said the suspect fired first and that Jackson returned fire. Another said he was there celebrating his birthday with the victim and friends but didn’t see the altercation or shooting.
The report states that Gordon later called the Sheriff’s Office about his vehicle being towed from the scene. He came in and was questioned. He initially denied being involved and said he only heard the shots but didn’t remember much because he was drunk and high on marijuana.
When investigators questioned him further, he changed his statements and confirmed getting into an altercation with the victim because he felt “disrespected” by him. He said when they were outside, the victim and his group said, “Don’t come over here, we have guns.”
Gordon said while watching his surroundings, he observed Jackson walking toward him with a firearm in his hand. He said Jackson flinched his arm, so he thought he was going to shoot him and then heard several shots ring out after his initial shot. He did have a graze wound.
Investigators noted that his version didn’t match security video.
(This story has been updated with new details from a much-lesser redacted arrest report available through court records.)
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville police make arrest in deadly shooting outside Philips Highway restaurant
Reporting by Scott Butler, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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