Orlando (US): A gunman who opened fire during a Halloween street celebration that drew thousands of costumed revellers to downtown Orlando killed two people and wounded six others early Friday, authorities said. Officers quickly arrested a 17-year-old male suspect, the city's police Chief Eric Smith said during a briefing. Authorities have not yet determined a motive. The shooter fired in the city's downtown bar and restaurant district around 1 am. Officers responded as costumed celebrants fled on foot, and the same gunman then fired again about a block away, Smith said.
The six wounded, who range in age from 19 to 39, were taken to a hospital and were in stable condition, Smith said. Smith showed video from street security cameras and a police body camera that recorded the shootings and the suspect's arrest. After the initial shots were fired, police used security video to put out a description of the suspect, but police then saw him open fire at the second location, Smith said. “Whatever his mindset was, he was going to shoot no matter what,” Smith said.
Orlando shooting: Handgun recovered
Authorities recovered a handgun at the arrest scene and have no other suspects, he said. Police announced later Friday that the 17-year-old has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and six counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm. More than 100 officers were 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 km from Orlando's tourist district, and it primarily attracts central Florida residents. Tens of thousands of revellers also usually celebrate downtown on the Saturday after Halloween. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer on Friday issued a local state of emergency for the downtown entertainment area. For the next seven days, alcohol sales will end at midnight, and a curfew will be enforced from 1 am to 5 am.
“We don't make this decision lightly, and we have pursued a number of other measures before reaching this point,” Dyer said.
Halloween celebrations in Orlando
During past Halloween celebrations, police 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 his agency is awaiting more information from the police investigating before deciding whether the teen will be charged as an adult.
(With inputs from agency)
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