On the night of Tuesday, July 7, 2026, 18-year-old Alexander Rutledge was shot and killed on Bridges Road in the Copper Hill neighborhood of Jacksonville. Police responded about 12:40 a.m.; Rutledge was found with at least one gunshot wound and pronounced dead at the scene. A recent Edward White High School graduate, he had met with a recruiter to begin the process of enlisting in the U.S. Navy.

Investigators described the shooting as not random and said detectives believed Rutledge knew his assailant. His mother told police she thought the shooter was a friend of Alexander’s, and reports say an argument with his best friend preceded the fatal shooting. Multiple persons of interest were detained for questioning while detectives collected evidence and sought search warrants. No arrests have been publicly announced.

If anyone in Copper Hill that night saw or heard anything on Bridges Road around 12:40 a.m., or knew Alexander’s circle, please share tips with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.