2024-11-01 20:25:02
ORLANDO – Two people are dead and at least six others are injured after a shooting in downtown Orlando, Florida, in the early hours of Friday morning as thousands enjoyed the city’s Halloween celebrations, police said.
Police arrested a 17-year-old boy on suspicion of carrying out the shooting. No motive has so far been established and the identities of those killed and injured have not been released, although police said the victims ranged in age from 19 to 39.
Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith told a news conference early Friday that shots were fired just after 1 a.m. at Central Boulevard and Orange Avenue with more shots fired nearby minutes later.
The six people who were wounded were taken taken to Orlando Medical Center for Treatment. Police said all were in a stable condition.
Police said the suspect was arrested and taken into custody. He was previously arrested for grand theft in 2023, a crime which remains an active investigation.
Surveillance video released by Orlando showed the suspect in a yellow shirt walking in the crowd and appearing to raise his right hand and open fire at someone. Crowds dispersed on all directions as gunfire rang out, according the footage. The police video showed an officer knock the suspect down and three others ran to help arrest him.
Smith told the news conference that Orlando is popular on Halloween, one of the city’s busiest nights of the year, with anything between 50,000 to 100,000 people expected to join the crowds. About 100 police officers were patrolling the area and managed to tackle the shooter soon after the shots were fired, Smith said.
Police showed security camera images of very crowded downtown streets at the time of the shooting, with people apparently running in terror as shots rang out.
“The officers did a great job. They responded right when they heard the shooting, you know. So everybody else is running. They’re not, they’re sitting in position looking for a shooter. They found a shooter. They took him down,” he said.
He added that the suspect was determined to carry out the shooting and did not appear put off by the police presence.
“Whatever his mindset was, he was going to shoot no matter what. He walked by multiple officers … He walked by at least 10 officers, walked directly by them,” Smith said.
Orange-Osceola State Attorney Andrew Bain told the news conference it was likely the suspect would be charged as an adult as the investigation progresses.
Residents say area has grown increasingly chaotic
Near the scene of the shooting, Friday morning, downtown workers and pedestrians went about their days without much sign of the carnage that occurred only hours before. About 10 feet of yellow police tape hung between a parking meter and nearby business.
Kenneth Brown, 59, was downtown Friday morning because he banks in the area a “couple times a week.”Brown, who works in dry cleaning, was sad to learn of the late-night bloodshed.“That’s a shame. It really is,” he said. “It makes me want to bank somewhere else.”
Rocio Taylor, 70, who lives about three blocks from where the shooting occurred, said on the weekends she doesn’t go out past 7 p.m. because the bar-and-club scene are too rowdy. She also mentioned the area often hosts festivals and draws a young crowd. Taylor, who works at a wedding dress shop, said she would like to see a bigger police presence.
“It’s Halloween,” she said. “They drink too much alcohol. They go to night clubs. They’re out of control,”
Andre, 45, who asked only his first name be used, said he was in the area on Thursday from about 8 p.m. to shortly before shots erupted, about 12:45 a.m.
Andre said there were thousands of people celebrating, many donning costumes. Andre dressed up as Freddy Krueger. He said the crowd was between 20 and 40 years old, although he did see some children and a mother pushing a stroller.
Andre, of Kissimmee, said there was a strong police presence monitoring the revelers.
“The atmosphere was really good. People were laughing and taking pictures with each other. I’m shocked. Everybody was having a good time.” Andre said he’s lucky he left shortly before the chaos.
“You never want to be around something like that.”
