First Coast Crime Stoppers pleading for tips related to deadly shooting that left 13-year-old dead
First Coast Crime Stoppers is pleading with the community to come forward with information to help solve last weekend’s deadly shooting that took the life of 13-year-old Prince Holland.
Two others were injured in the gunfire, including an 11-year-old.
The victims were all on their way back from football tryouts.
Holland’s mother, Chantel Brown, was left heartbroken and without answers.
“Y’all stole him. His little brother can’t see him every day. His big brothers and big sisters can’t see him. I can’t pick up my baby and that was a beautiful child, a beautiful soul and he didn’t do nothing to nobody,” said Brown during a Wednesday night vigil.
Nearly a week after the shooting, only four tips have come into First Coast Crime Stoppers.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
Executive Director Wyllie Hodges told Action News Jax he doesn’t understand why more information hasn’t come through.
“In particular when you’re talking about the crime that we’re dealing with,” said Hodges.
Hodges said leaving a tip comes with zero risk.
Crime Stoppers doesn’t even know the identity of its tipsters, only the number they’re assigned.
“The calls, I guarantee you, they can’t be traced. You can get a subpoena and try to trace it if you’re law enforcement. You’re not gonna get it,” said Hodges.
Hodges said he’s unaware of a single case where a tipster’s identity was revealed in his 17-year career with the program.
“If it got out tomorrow that one of our tipsters, I’d probably have to shut the program down because no one would ever believe in it again,” said Hodges.
If your tip leads to an arrest, you’ll get paid.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
$1.7 million has been cleared to pay out for tips since the program started in 2002 according to Hodges.
Crime Stoppers is offering $9,000 for information related to the murder of Prince Holland.
The money would be available for pick up at a local bank.
All you have to do is provide the number assigned to your tip.
“I think it’s 90 days. So, it’s not like you gotta run down there tomorrow and do it,” said Hodges.
Since Hodges started with Crime Stoppers tips have helped solve 127 murders, including the murder of a five-year-old Kearria Addison who was killed by crossfire in North Jacksonville during a fight in 2020.
“The program works. All that we ask is for people to use it,” said Hodges.
If you have any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, related to the shooting this weekend you call 1-866-845-TIPS, visit FCcrimestoppers.com, download the P3 Tips mobile app, or simply dial **TIPS.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
