JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville family is heartbroken and searching for answers after 38-year-old Kenance “Tiger” Bronson was shot and killed over the weekend in the city’s Brentwood neighborhood.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, officers responded to the 4300 block of Brentwood Avenue on Saturday after reports of gunfire. When they arrived, they found a man suffering from at least one gunshot wound. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died.
That man was identified by his family as Kenance Bronson, a father of three and a beloved figure in his community.
“He was a great person. He had a big heart,” Bronson’s family said. “Remember his smile and just how happy he was to give to others. That made him happy — it brought him joy to take care of other people, especially kids. He loved kids.”
Bronson’s mother, Mary Bronson, told News4JAX she was at the Florida-Georgia football game.
“My grandson called me panicking, saying, ‘Mama, where you at? You need to get to the hospital. Tiger been shot, and he’s unresponsive,’” she said. “I thought he was just panicking.”
Mary said she waited for hours in the emergency room before learning her son didn’t make it.
“As we were walking back to the trauma center, a chaplain must’ve thought we already knew,” she said. “She said, ‘So y’all know he gone.’ That’s something I don’t wish on my worst enemy. It’s something no mother should ever have to go through.”
Family members described Bronson as a man who never met a stranger and who always looked for ways to help others — from paying for people’s meals to mentoring neighborhood kids.
“My strength — that God gave me — I’m having to use to keep this group together,” Mary said. “The calls and visits from my friends are the strength that’s keeping me going.”
Despite their grief, the Bronson family is holding onto faith and calling for justice.
“I want the people that took my son from me to know not only did they hurt and kill Tiger, they hurt a community,” Mary said. “You didn’t have to do that to him, and you definitely didn’t have to do it to me. If you have any remorse out there, turn yourself in. Let us know who you are and tell us why you did it.”
JSO confirmed that several people have been detained in connection with the shooting but said no arrests have been announced as detectives continue to investigate what led up to the gunfire.
Bronson’s family says they hope someone will come forward with information that could help detectives find justice for their loved one — a man remembered for his big heart and his love for others.
“Tiger was full of life,” Mary said. “He loved people, and people loved him.”
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact JSO at (904) 630-0500, or to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS (8477).