Shootings kill 2, injure 7 during Halloween celebrations in Orlando

ORLANDO, Florida — A gunman who opened fire during a Halloween street party that drew thousands of costumed revelers to downtown Orlando killed two people and wounded seven others early Friday, authorities said.

Officers quickly arrested a 17-year-old male suspect, Police Chief Eric Smith said during a briefing. Authorities have not yet determined a motive.

The gunman fired into downtown Orlando’s bar and restaurant district around 1 a.m. Officers responded as costumed revelers fled, and the same gunman fired again about a block away, Smith said.

The seven injured, ages 19 to 39, were taken to a hospital and were in stable condition, Smith said. A tenth victim was treated after being trampled by the crowd as people fled.

One of the Halloween revelers killed and another who was injured were students at the University of Central Florida, the school said in a statement Friday.

The shooting “may have affected many students who were celebrating Halloween and in the vicinity of the incident,” the university said. “Our thoughts are with all the loved ones affected during this unimaginable time.”

Smith showed video from security cameras on the street and a police body camera that recorded the shooting and arrest of the suspect.

After the first shots were fired, police used security video to present 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.

Authorities recovered a gun at the scene of the arrest and have no other suspects, he said. Police announced later Friday that the 17-year-old was 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 of an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 people celebrating Halloween Thursday night and early Friday morning in what is one of downtown Orlando’s largest events each year, Smith said.

The Halloween celebration was held about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Orlando’s tourist district and primarily attracts residents of Central Florida. Tens of thousands of revelers usually celebrate downtown the Saturday after Halloween.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer issued a local state of emergency for the downtown entertainment district on Friday. For the next seven days, alcohol sales will end at midnight and a curfew will be imposed between 1am and 5am.

“We do not make this decision lightly and have taken a number of other steps before reaching this point,” Dyer said.

During previous Halloweens, police closed downtown streets and used dogs to control guns as people walked past entry points, but changed their procedures after Florida lawmakers passed the vote. a concealed carry law without a permit in 2023said the police chief.

“You can carry a gun on a public street if you meet certain criteria,” Smith said. “So that’s when it changed, I couldn’t do that anymore.”

Florida State Attorney Andrew Baine said his agency is waiting for more information from police investigating before deciding whether the teenager will be charged as an adult.