Ramon Taveras, a rising star in the UFC bantamweight division, narrowly escaped a life-threatening encounter outside his mother’s home in Jacksonville, Florida. On the night of July 29, 2024, Taveras was targeted in a drive-by shooting, an incident that he later shared through security footage on his social media.
According to Taveras, a group of armed men drove up to his mother’s house and opened fire as he was leaving the residence. Acting quickly, Taveras managed to take cover and return fire with his own legally owned firearm, defending himself in what could have been a fatal situation.
Taveras, 30, is no stranger to the harsh realities of gun violence. His brother was killed in 2019, and the perpetrators have yet to be apprehended. Reflecting on the recent shooting, Taveras expressed deep frustration with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO), accusing them of doing the “bare minimum” in both his brother’s case and his own. He noted that despite his explanation that he leads a peaceful life focused on his career and family, the JSO officers implied that he might have been involved in activities that led to the attack.
In his social media post, Taveras wrote, “I am blessed and happy to be alive, but I’m leaving Duval.” He went on to criticize the local law enforcement for their apparent indifference towards the violence affecting less affluent areas of the city.
Blessed pic.twitter.com/lS4qRiH0KX
— Ramon “The Savage” Taveras (@TheSavage904) August 5, 2024
This dangerous incident underscores the ongoing violence in Jacksonville, FL, where 123 out of 157 homicides in 2023 were the result of shootings. Taveras’s decision to leave his hometown is a stark reminder of the toll that such violence takes on families and communities.
Taveras earned his UFC contract through Dana White’s Contender Series and has since fought twice under the promotion. Despite the challenges he faces, both inside and outside the octagon, Taveras remains a determined figure, unwilling to let these incidents define his life. However, this recent attack has forced him to reconsider his future in the city he once called home.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has yet to comment on the incident. Meanwhile, Taveras is using his platform to bring attention to the broader issues of violence and the need for more effective law enforcement in his community.
Dear Editor;
Can we PLEASE STOP using the phrase ‘gun violence’?? It is the preferred language of the enemies of liberty and has NO place in our vocabulary!
America doesn’t have a gun violence problem. America has a failure to lock up violent criminals problem.
Most of the crimes are committed by violent criminals who did not serve the entirety of their original sentence for the first violent crime they committed. Liberals turn them loose early.