Marrero-Ramos Found Guilty of Murder in 2023 Shooting

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Duval County jury found Ellis Marrero-Ramos guilty of Second-Degree Murder and two counts of Attempted Second-Degree Murder. With the verdict, Marrero-Ramos faces up to life in Florida State Prison. The Honorable Mark Borello will sentence Marrero-Ramos at a later date.

In the early morning hours of Oct. 29, 2023, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting on Philips Highway. Officers found three victims with gunshot wounds — one person died at the scene. Witnesses saw a passenger in a dark-colored truck heading north on Philips Highway shoot several times from the window of the vehicle. Surveillance footage captured the shooting. The footage showed that prior to the shooting the truck driver exited the vehicle and went to the front entrance of a nightclub. He then ran back to the truck, sped off, and the passenger started shooting out the window.

Tips from the community led police to identify the driver as Christopher Garcia-Jimenez and, less than a month later, the truck belonging to him was found torched on the Northside. Further investigation uncovered text messages and social media accounts discussing the shooting. Marrero-Ramos was identified as the shooter. Garcia-Jimenez was charged with multiple crimes associated with the incident and pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by 5 years probation.

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Joe Licandro and Elizabeth Brown.