Halloween celebrations in Orlando turn deadly
Two people were killed and six others were wounded in two shootings by a single gunman that took place among thousands of costumed revellers during a Halloween street celebration in downtown Orlando.
Officers responded to a report of shots fired in the city’s downtown bar and restaurant district shortly after 1am as costumed celebrants fled on foot.
A second shooting minutes later happened within a short distance of officers and they quickly made an arrest, the city’s police Chief Eric Smith said during a briefing on Friday morning.
The six wounded, who range in age from 19 to 39, were transported to a hospital for treatment and were in stable condition, Smith said.
A 17-year-old male suspect was taken into custody, said Smith, who showed video from street security cameras and a police body camera showing the two shootings and the suspect’s arrest at the second shooting location.
After the first shooting, police used security video to put out a description of the suspect, but the second shooting happened near police and officers saw the attack, Smith said.
“Whatever his mindset was, he was going to shoot no matter what,” Smith said, noting that the suspect’s motivation is part of the ongoing investigation.
A handgun was recovered at the arrest scene and there are no other suspects, he said.
There were more than 100 officers patrolling the crowds estimated between 50,000 and 100,000 people who were out celebrating Halloween on Thursday night and early Friday morning in what is one of the biggest events in downtown Orlando each year, Smith said.
The Halloween celebration took place about 16 kilometres from Orlando’s tourist district, and it primarily attracts central Florida residents.
Revellers usually also celebrate by the tens of thousands in downtown Orlando on the Saturday after Halloween.
During past Halloween celebrations, police officers would close off downtown streets and use dogs to screen for weapons as people walked past entry points, but they changed their procedures after Florida lawmakers passed a permit-less concealed carry law in 2023, the police chief said.
“You can carry a weapon on a public street, if you meet certain criteria,” Smith said.
“So then that changed, we could no longer do that.”
Florida State Attorney Andrew Baine said charging the teen suspect as an adult is a possibility but his agency would await further information from the police investigation.
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