‘Faithful man of God’: Church identifies pastor as man killed in Camden County shooting; his grandson was injured

Security camera footage will play ‘key role’ in helping investigators understand what happened, the sheriff’s office said

According to First Baptist Church of Harriets Bluff, the man who was shot and killed in Camden County is known in the community as “Pastor Joe." (Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved.)

CAMDEN COUNTY, Fla. – The man who was shot and killed in Camden County on Sunday was identified as a pastor who served at a church in Woodbine, according to church leaders.

According to First Baptist Church of Harriets Bluff, the man who was shot and killed is known in the community as “Pastor Joe,” and the child who was shot in the arm was his grandson.

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“Pastor Joe was a faithful man of God and an accomplished Bible teacher at our church. He will be missed greatly,” the church wrote.

Around 1 p.m. on Sunday, Camden County deputies said they responded to a shooting in a gated community near Harrietts Bluff Road.

When they arrived at the scene, they found a man and a child each with gunshot wounds.

Pastor Joe was taken to the hospital but later died.

The grandson was undergoing surgery for his injuries and is expected to be OK, according to the church.

While at the scene on Sunday, News4JAX spoke with a man who identified himself as the father of the child shot and the son of the man who was killed.

He told us he didn’t understand why his father and son were in that neighborhood.

No arrests have been made.

On Monday, Camden County deputies said the investigation was still active and investigators were reviewing multiple security camera videos from the area.

“This footage will play a key role in helping us understand the events that occurred,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a press release.

Officials said the focus remains on carrying out a “full and detailed investigation.”

“We owe it to this community to conduct a thorough, unbiased investigation -- and that’s exactly what we intend to do,” Sheriff Kevin Chaney said.

The church also provided this link to help purchase meals that will be delivered to the pastor’s family.


About the Author
Yvette Sanchez headshot

Yvette Sanchez joined News4JAX in February 2025. Originally from Southern California she’s a first-generation Cuban/American who is very proud of her Latina heritage. She attended Arizona State University and received her degree in Sports Journalism from the Walter Cronkite school of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

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