Hubbard House CEO Gail Patin speaks Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, about domestic violence. With her are Julia Edwards of Clay County's Quigley House, left, and Kellie Franklin of St. Johns County's Betty Griffin Center. | Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
Published on September 30, 2025 at 4:22 pm
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Domestic homicides in Jacksonville rose in 2024 after a historic decrease the previous year, according to the annual Domestic Violence Review Report released Tuesday.
The report showed that guns were used in a majority of the domestic violence deaths last year, and most of the perpetrators were men.
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The report was released as abuse shelter and law enforcement leaders kicked off Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Statistics are compiled by a committee of law enforcement and prosecution experts that has reviewed domestic abuse fatalities for 28 years.
The team highlighted a new statistic for 2024. Friends, family and neighbors of five of the 11 people killed by intimate partners knew domestic violence was happening “and no one reported it,” said Assistant State Attorney Khary Gayner, director of the Special Victims Unit.
Gayner urged more community outreach to educate people about the danger of domestic violence and how to safely help victims.
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“These words have never been truer than today. The front line of this conflict begins with everyday citizens — friends, relatives, neighbors, even complete strangers. We must take our responsibility to our society seriously,” Gayner said. “Law enforcement and our community partners become involved after domestic violence occurs, but people of the city can help prevent violence and provide victims with support to stand up against their abusers.”
The head of Jacksonville’s domestic abuse shelter said domestic violence affects the entire community. But the community also is the solution, said Hubbard House CEO Gail Patin.
“You are the person who will see the signs that a neighbor is experiencing abuse. You are the person who asks the survivor if they need help,” Patin said. “You can be the bridge that connects survivor to life-saving, life-changing support. You can be that very bridge of safety.”
What the data shows
Police have handled 5,442 domestic violence cases so far this year, compared with 5,334 at the same time last year. Both numbers are lower than in 2023, when more than 6,000 cases were reported by this time.
For 2024, 19 people died in 14 domestic violence homicides, said Gayner, who is also co-chair of the Domestic Violence Review Team.
Three of those deaths were perpetrators who committed suicide, he told the audience. Four of the deaths in 2024 were deemed to be justifiable homicides. Eleven of the 14 deaths involved violence between intimate partners — spouses, girlfriends or boyfriends.
In 2023, 13 people died in 10 domestic violence homicides. Domestic homicides fell that year to their lowest level since 2015.
“The data from last year, although not outside of the norm, was not encouraging given 2023’s numbers,” Gayner said. “And while we know the goal of reaching zero domestic homicides may not seem plausible, it is a meaningful effort and one that we should try to save lives.”
Guns and homicide
Six of the 11 domestic homicides involving intimate partners were committed by men against women in 2024, Gayner said.
The relationships had a history of violence in nine of the cases. The perpetrator had past issues of domestic violence either with the person they killed or with previous partners, Gayner said.
Firearms continue to be the primary weapon used in Duval County’s domestic violence homicides — 79% of 2024’s cases compared with 60% in 2023.
“Abusers who have access to firearms remain a significant threat to their potential victims” Gayner said.
Three of homicide cases last year involved mental health issues, and eight showed patterns of substance abuse, Gayner said.
The 2024 data shows a need for more intervention and support, Gayner said. Only two of the couples in the fatal cases had been ordered into a batterers intervention program — and it appears neither of them completed the program.
Living together gives perpetrators more access to their victims and the ability to isolate them, Gayner said. Friends, family and neighbors can help by reporting incidents they see and hear, he said.
Events for Domestic Violence Awareness Month
- The 31st Annual Barbara Ann Campbell Memorial Breakfast will be 7:30 a.m. Oct. 15 at the Prime Osborn Convention Center. The event remembers those lost locally to domestic violence and promotes awareness of the problem and solution. Tickets are $75 per person.
- The University of North Florida will host Take Back The Night on Oct. 15, starting with an awareness fair at 4 p.m. at Osprey Plaza, followed by a Take Back The Night March at 5:30 p.m. The events take a stand against interpersonal violence and dating/domestic violence.
- Volunteers will plant 6,2140-plus purple flags in front of the Duval County Courthouse at 3 p.m. Wednesday, representing each injunction for violence filed in 2024 in Duval County.
- Share Hubbard House’s #BridgeToSafety social media campaign as posted on Facebook (@HubbardHouseInc) and Instagram (@hubbardhouse).
Domestic abuse resources
- Clay County’s Quigley House 24-hour hotline: (904) 284-0061.
- Hubbard House 24-hour hotline, (904) 354-3114, and 24-hour text message line, (904) 210-3698.
- St. Johns County’s Betty Griffin Center 24-hour hotline: (904) 824-1555.
- Nassau County’s Micah’s Place 24-hour hotline: (904) 225-9979.
