JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Police responding to reported gunshots at the Avalon Hills Apartments on Arlington Expressway early Saturday morning found a 36-year-old man dead.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the man later identified as Winston Thompson was found on a stairwell with at least one gunshot wound.
Thompson was a well-known barber who owned A Cut Above on Cesery Boulevard.
The shop was closed Monday, so News4Jax spoke to Xavier Lucianes, who works next door. He said he was stunned by the news. Lucianes said he's known Thompson for four years and that Thompson had been in the location for more than 20 years.
Tyrone Jackson is the owner of Legendary Cuts, which is a barber shop just a few blocks away. He said it's scary because barbers deal with a lot of people and he's not sure if the killer was a customer.
"I thought it was a tragedy, then it makes me wake up too, because I'm a barber and anything can happen at any given time," Jackson said. "It's a tragedy -- bad business for the family and anybody else that knew him. You never know who you're going to get, so you're on guard. A lot of people are on guard because of that happening to a barber. That can happen to us."
Detectives interviewed several witnesses to try to determine what occurred, but have not identified a suspect or made an arrest.
Police ask anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous and be could be eligible for a reward of up to $3,000.