Forte Found Guilty of Attempted Murder, Other Crimes

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that Kellon Forte. was found guilty by a Duval County jury of two counts of Attempted Second-Degree Murder, two counts of Shooting or Throwing Deadly Missiles, and Resisting an Officer Without Violence. With the verdict, Forte now faces up to 90 years in Florida State Prison, with a mandatory minimum of 20 years. The Honorable London Kite will sentence Forte at a later date.

On Oct. 19, 2024, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to an Airport Road bar after receiving calls about a shooting. Police arrived, saw Forte fleeing on foot less than a mile from the shooting, and pursued him based on descriptions witnesses had provided. They captured him in under 10 minutes after the shooting.

The investigation included numerous interviews with the victims and witnesses — some from in and around the lounge, others from a nearby hotel. The initial victim was inside a car outside the lounge when Forte fired a gun from the passenger side of the second victim’s car through the car of the initial victim’s front passenger door. The second victim heard the gunshot and went outside to see the initial victim running toward the bar and Forte behind an SUV with a gun in his hand. The second victim then went to his car to retrieve his own firearm, only to find the door open and Forte holding what appeared to be his gun. Forte then shot at the second victim as he ran back inside; the bullet had struck the victim’s boot. The bar then shut down and the doors were locked, and Forte fled across the street. Two witnesses from a hotel nearby saw what took place from their windows. Surveillance footage also confirmed these accounts.

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Susan Haag and Katherina Brown.