Brittany Crawford

Brittany Nicole Crawford was a loving daughter, mother, sister, and friend who was born in Orange Park, Florida, on May 24, 1990. A lifelong resident of the Jacksonville area, the 27-year-old Caucasian woman attended Forrest High School and was a member of Corner Stone Baptist Church. Brittany was a mother to two children, a son named RJ and a daughter named Summer. She was predeceased by another daughter, Autumn Smith. Those who loved her remembered her as a cherished family member who is dearly missed.

On the night of Saturday, November 18, 2017, tragedy struck in Jacksonville’s Woodstock area, a neighborhood on the city's Westside. Just before 9 p.m., the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office received reports of gunfire on Columbus Avenue, near Prospect Street. When officers arrived at the scene, they found a devastating scene. Brittany Crawford was discovered lying in the street, already deceased from gunshot wounds. Nearby, authorities found a 29-year-old man, Roy Smith, who was the father of Brittany's children. He had also been shot and was rushed to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The investigation into the double shooting began immediately, handled by homicide detectives from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. In the initial stages, police did not release a motive for the shooting or provide any description of a possible gunman. They noted that Brittany was a transient at the time of her death. The case was classified as an active homicide investigation, but details about what led to the gunfire remained scarce.

In the days following the shooting, Roy Smith’s mother, Mary Purvis, spoke out about the toll of opioid addiction on her family. She said her son was addicted to heroin and fentanyl and that she believed this lifestyle had cost Brittany her life. Purvis recounted the pain of having to call Brittany’s parents to inform them of their daughter's death, describing it as one of the hardest things she ever had to do. After being released from the hospital, Roy Smith disappeared, leaving his mother to fear for his safety.

A funeral service for Brittany was held on Friday, November 24, 2017, in the chapel of Cedar Bay Funeral Home, followed by her interment in Riverside Memorial Park. Her obituary listed a large and loving family who survived her, including her children, her father and stepmother, Allen and Sheila Crawford, her brother, Brad Crawford, her grandmother, Lana Hunter, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who felt her loss deeply.

As of the latest reports, the murder of Brittany Crawford remains unsolved. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has not publicly identified any suspects or made any arrests in connection with the shooting. The circumstances surrounding the violent encounter on Columbus Avenue that claimed one life and critically injured another are still unclear. The investigation continues, and authorities have asked for the public's help.

Anyone with information regarding the shooting of Brittany Crawford is urged to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500. For those who wish to remain anonymous, tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS.