JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – The State Attorney’s Office released body camera footage and 911 calls related to the 2022 murder of Jared Bridegan, providing new insight into the chaotic moments surrounding the shooting.
Prosecutors allege Bridegan was killed in a murder-for-hire plot involving his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, and her estranged husband, Mario Fernandez.
Multiple 911 calls captured varying perspectives of the incident, with witnesses reporting gunshots and a car stopped in the road with a man standing outside and a young girl inside.
Due to the graphic nature of the body camera footage from responding officers, News4JAX is only showing still images from the video.
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Jacksonville attorney Gene Nichols, who is not involved in the case, noted that the defense has already reviewed this evidence.
“This now allows for all of us in the public to see what just an unfortunate scenario took place at that car that night,” Nichols said.
Another local attorney, Shannon Schott of Plata Schott Law, emphasized the chaotic nature of shooting scenes and the importance of multiple body camera angles in such cases. Schott is also not involved in the case.
“Most cases like this, you’re going to see a body worn camera from multiple angles. So for the defense, they have to go through all of that video evidence as well as, of course, the prosecutor,” Schott explained.
Nichols added that while the evidence release offers clarity, the state still faces the challenge of piecing together the full story amid differing public opinions.
“This is, again, of course, a tragic event happened that night, but so many civilians are going to have different thoughts and ideas as to what happened. Now we see the chaos. The state’s job is to kind of bring it all together,” he said.
The trial is not expected until August 2026, leaving time for additional evidence to be disclosed. Schott noted the state’s ongoing obligation to share information as the case progresses.
“The ultimate point is the state has an ongoing duty to disclose information, so we may continue to see more evidence coming out prior to August of 2026 when this case potentially goes to trial,” she said.