A vigil was planned as the family grieved and two victims remained hospitalized.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Neighbors on Jacksonville’s Northside gathered around a grieving family after a Tuesday shooting killed 4-year-old Harmoni Johnson and left her mother and 2-year-old sister fighting for their lives.
The shooting on Traci Lynn Drive has shaken a close neighborhood where residents said families know one another. Police arrested the children’s father, 29-year-old Trudale Reed Jr., and said the case followed a domestic incident between Reed and Brianna Johnson, the children’s mother. Reed is charged with murder and attempted murder and was ordered held without bond Thursday.
A memorial of stuffed animals and flowers grew outside the family’s home in the days after the shooting. Ella Bedwell, who lives nearby, said the scene was hard for neighbors to process. “It was chaotic,” Bedwell said, describing the police response. She said she wanted neighbors to come together because the shooting happened so close to home.
Bedwell helped organize a candlelight vigil for Friday night on Traci Lynn Drive to honor Harmoni and support the family. “We will show up and we will do what we can with what resources we have and just show people that we care,” Bedwell said. Another neighbor, DeDe Bent, said the family is known in the area. “I lived over here for 20 years and we all know each other,” Bent said.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said officers responded to the 10900 block of Traci Lynn Drive at about 4:59 p.m. Tuesday after neighbors reported gunshots. Police said Harmoni was found dead, while Johnson, 27, and Rhythm Johnson, 2, were critically wounded. Investigators said the shooting happened outside the home near the porch.
The case has also drawn attention to domestic violence in Duval County. Police said Reed and Johnson had a known history of domestic incidents. Separate records show Reed had two earlier domestic violence arrests, but both charges were dropped after family-member victims did not want to pursue the cases. Advocates said the shooting shows how private conflict can become public tragedy.
Tiki Stafford, a Jacksonville mother and domestic violence awareness advocate, said the case reminded her of losing her own daughter to gun violence in 2019. Jacksonville police said Stafford’s daughter was killed by her father. “It’s sad because we are the protectors, and we’re supposed to protect our children, and it’s not being done,” Stafford said.
Johnson’s family said relatives are grieving, declining interviews and focusing on supporting one another. They thanked the community for its compassion during what they called an unimaginable loss.
Reed remained jailed without bond after his first court appearance. Police had not released updated conditions for Johnson and Rhythm as of Thursday night.
Author note: Last updated July 4, 2026.