A Halloween celebration in downtown Orlando turned into a scene of panic in the early hours of Friday, when gunfire broke out in a packed crowd. Police have now released surveillance footage showing the moment the shooting began. Two people died and six others were hurt, and a 17-year-old has been taken into custody.
The suspect is named as Jaylen Dwayne Edgar. Police say he was stopped after an officer moved in and took down the suspected shooter, and he is being held while the investigation continues.
What happened that night
At around 1.07am, Orlando police officers answered calls about shots being fired at the corner of Central Boulevard and Orange Avenue. The situation was still unfolding as they arrived.
Within minutes, officers positioned south of Washington Street on Orange Avenue saw a second shooting take place right in front of them. They moved quickly and apprehended a suspect.
The six people who were injured ranged in age from 19 to 39. They were taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where Police Chief Eric Smith said they are in a stable condition.
A fast response from officers
Chief Smith described downtown Orlando as a "challenging" place to police. He said nearly 100 officers were on patrol in the area when the shooting happened, which helped them reach the scene so fast.
He praised the officers for the way they acted. "The officers responded very quickly, the officers did a great job. They responded right when they heard the shooting. You know, everybody else is running, they’re not: They’re sitting in position looking for a shooter. They found the shooter," Smith said.
His comments paint a picture of a crowd scattering in fear while police ran towards the danger and began searching for the person responsible.
What comes next
Because the investigation is still going, police have not yet shared anything about Edgar’s background. Many questions remain about who he is and what led to the shooting.
Florida state attorney Andrew Baine said that charging the teenager as an adult is a possibility. He added that his office will decide once more of the investigation has been completed.
Police officials are also now looking at whether more officers are needed on the streets over the weekend, as the city tries to keep people safe after a night that ended in tragedy.
The shooting has brought back painful memories in Orlando. The city’s last mass shooting came in 2016, when 29-year-old gunman Omar Mateen killed 49 people and wounded 53 more at Pulse, a gay nightclub. He was fatally shot by Orlando police after a three-hour standoff.
For now, the six people injured on Friday are said to be stable, a teenager is in custody, and investigators are still working to piece together exactly what happened on the busy downtown streets.
Image credit: Orlando Police
Source: Daily Express US
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