Florida: One person was killed while two were hospitalised after a shooting incident in the downtown area of Jacksonville Beach, Florida, on Sunday (local time), causing police officials to request people to take shelter. Jacksonville Beach Police Department said authorities are looking for what they believe are multiple shooters and the area will remain shut until further notice.
Hours later, the department in a post on X said, "Officers are still working the scene but the shelter in place has been lifted". Around 10 gunshots were heard as hundreds of people who had been celebrating St. Patrick's Day rushed out onto the beach in order to escape the terror.
Sergeant Tonya Tator with the Jacksonville Beach Police said authorities are still looking for suspects. "If anyone knows or sees anything, they are asked to call the Jacksonville Beach Police Department", Tator told reporters, while confirming the shooting happened 'out in the open', rather than inside a bar.
According to multiple media reports, all bars and restaurants have been closed. The two injured persons are now reported in stable condition and law enforcement officials all across Florida have been alerted. Jacksonville Beach has a population of about 23,830 people.
Two killed in shooting in Washington DC
The incident in Florida's Jacksonville Beach follows another shooting incident in Washington DC, where two people were killed and five others injured. Police were looking for a single gunman after the seven people were shot around 3 am in the Shaw neighbourhood of Washington.
The five people who were injured were all taken to local hospitals, said Jeffrey Carroll, the executive assistant chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. All of the victims are adults, he said. Police did not immediately provide details of the circumstances surrounding the shooting or the conditions of those injured.
The District of Columbia is struggling with a sharp increase in violent crime, which went up 39 per cent in 2023. The increase was largely fueled by a 35 per cent rise in homicides and growth in carjackings, which nearly doubled.
(with inputs from AP)
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