ORLANDO, Fla. — Two people are dead and seven others were injured after a shooting in downtown Orlando early Friday as thousands celebrated Halloween, police said.
Police arrested a 17-year-old on suspicion of carrying out the shooting. No motive has been established, and the identities of those killed and injured have not been released. Police said the victims ranged in age from 18 to 39, and the two people who were killed were 19 and 25.
Police said six of the injured were shot and a 26-year-old woman had injuries from being trampled as the crowd fled.
Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said shots were fired just after 1 a.m. at Central Boulevard and Orange Avenue and more shots were fired nearby minutes later.
Police said the suspect, Jaylen Dwayne Edgar, was arrested and taken into custody. He was later charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and six counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm.
On Monday, the State Attorney’s Office for the Ninth Judicial Circuit said Edgar had been charged as an adult.
He had previously been arrested on a grand theft charge in 2023, a crime that remains an active investigation.
Smith told reporters Friday afternoon that the suspect has not been cooperative with police. Investigators are working to learn how he obtained the gun.
Surveillance video released by Orlando police showed the suspect in a yellow shirt walking in the crowd. He appeared to raise his right hand and open fire. Crowds dispersed in all directions as gunfire rang out, according to the footage. The police video showed an officer knock down the suspect and three others ran to help arrest him.
Smith said Halloween is one of the city’s busiest nights of the year, with crowds between 50,000 to 100,000 people. About 100 police officers were patrolling the area and tackled the shooter soon after the shots were fired, Smith said.
“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 said 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.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer announced a local state of emergency in Orlando’s downtown entertainment area and enacted a 1 a.m. curfew in the wake of the shooting. For the next seven days there will also be no alcohol sales after midnight.
Dyer said the city had safety measures in place in the downtown area including coordinated entry and weapon screening.
He said changes in the state’s concealed weapons laws have “made it even easier for people to carry guns and bring guns downtown.” Last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation allowing residents to carry a concealed loaded weapon without a permit.
“Honestly, I am frustrated to have to stand in front of you all and again, share the news that we have senselessly lost another life due to gun violence,” Dyer said.
Near the scene of the shooting Friday morning, downtown workers and pedestrians went about their days without much sign of the violence that occurred hours before. About 10 feet of yellow police tape hung between a parking meter and a nearby business.
Rocio Taylor, 70, who lives about three blocks from where the shooting occurred, said she doesn’t go out past 7 p.m. on the weekends because the bar-and-club scene is 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 nightclubs. They’re out of control.”
Patrick Smith reported from London, Antonio Planas from Orlando and Marlene Lenthang from Los Angeles.
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