2 people died, 6 were injured in the crowd on Halloween

Suspicious opened fire in the middle of thousands of people police reported that two people were murdered and six injured in downtown Orlando celebrating Halloween.

According to Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith, all of the victims were between 19 and 39 years old early press conference. He added that the condition of the six injured was stable. The two dead have not yet been identified.

Officers reported shots fired around 1:07 a.m. Friday morning in the area of Central Blvd and Orange Avenue, Smith said. Dramatic surveillance and body camera footage showed a huge crowd of thousands of people crowding the streets to celebrate Halloween when one person (blurred in the footage) appeared to shoot another, causing pandemonium as passersby fled.

The officers didn’t see the first shooting, but five of them were watching when moments later the suspect showed up near Washington Street and Orange Avenue and “shot multiple people,” Smith said.

A 17-year-old male suspect, who Smith said had a previous arrest for theft in 2023, was arrested.

There were up to 100,000 people in downtown Orlando during the shooting

It is estimated that between 50,000 and 100,000 people were in downtown Orlando at the time of the shooting, which killed two people and injured six others. The 17-year-old suspect is in custody.

Nov – 35 Orlando

“Halloween is one of the busiest nights of the year, it always is,” Smith said, pointing to the video screen. “We do everything from 50,000 to 100,000 people.”

Smith said there were about 100 police officers in the area and the shooter was quickly apprehended.

It is not known yet whether the suspect will be charged as an adult. The investigation is ongoing, Smith said.

Where did the Orlando Halloween shooting take place?

The first shots were fired at the intersection of Central Blvd. and Orange Ave., police said, downtown.

According to Smith, the suspect “ran to Court St., came back down the alley and jumped out” on Orange Ave. on Washington St., one block from the first shooting, and opened fire again. “There were people still walking and running in different directions,” Smith said.

Why did a shooter open fire in Orlando?

Although the video shows the suspect passing another person and then turning to shoot him, a motive for that victim or the others has not yet been determined, Smith said.

Can you carry a gun in public places in Orlando?

In previous years, firearms were banned at events, but this later changed the state has legalized concealed carry in 2023, Smith said.

“It all disappeared when the law changed,” he said. “Basically, you carry a gun on a public street and until you carry it, you don’t meet certain criteria.

“I know law enforcement is constantly changing,” Smith said.

If confirmed, it would be Florida’s 27th mass shooting in 2024, according to the nonprofit group. Gun Violence Archiveout of 439 across the country.

How many people were shot in the US in 2024?

According to the Gun Violence Archive, as of October 31, 2024:

14,166 people have died in the U.S. so far this year, including 202 children and 973 teenagers
27,055 people were injured, including 469 children and 2,724 teenagers.
345 law enforcement officers were killed or injured
In accidents involving law enforcement officers, 1,227 people died and 672 were injured
1,019 people died in self-defense
1,157 people died as a result of unintentional shootings
561 people died as a result of murders/suicides

What is a mass shooting?

GVA (i Congressional Research Service) defines a mass shooting by the number of people shot in the incident: four or more, not including the shooter. GVA’s numbers – which have been disputed by pro-gun groups – may differ from those provided by the FBI or CDC because they collect data from 7,500 law enforcement, government and media sources, the site explains.

USA TODAY defines mass shooting as an incident in which at least four people were hit by gunfire. A mass killing refers to an incident that resulted in the death of at least four people.

The FBI doesn’t define “mass shooting” at all. The agency defines “mass killing” or “mass murder“as an incident that results in four or more victims being killed by any intentional means, which may include the use of weapons.

Gun violence in Florida

Including this one, there will be 27 mass shootings in the Sunshine State in 2024, up from 30 last year, according to GVA data. A study conducted on the safety product review site SafeHomes.org found that Floridians have made a purchase almost half a million firearms in the first four months of 2024

Florida led the nation in mass shootings for much of this year, but Illinois had 33, with 30 in California and 26 in Texas.

FBI Reports Decrease in Violent Crimes Compared to 2023

The FBI says crime is falling in the US

There was a 13% decrease in murders in 2023 compared to 2022, a 6% decrease in reported violent crimes, and a 4% decrease in reported property crimes.

unbranded – noteworthy

Still, the total number of mass shootings in the U.S. is down so far compared to 2023, standing at 385 as of Sept. 5, compared with 561 this time last year, according to GVA data.

In July, the FBI announced that violent crimes were down in 2024 and that crimes were down in 2023 compared to the previous year. In his own 2024 Quarterly Crime Report and Use of Force Data UpdateAccording to preliminary reports, in 2023 the number of murders decreased by 26.4%, rapes by 25.7%, robberies by 17.8% and aggravated assaults by 12.5%.

How many mass shootings in 2024 have occurred in Florida?

As of Friday morning, according to GVA’s definition, there have been 26 mass shootings in Florida this year:

January 20, Plantation: Four people were injured shooting outside Best Buy. One person later died.
January 20, Palm Bay: The man shot and killed his mother, grandfather and sister and injured his 15-year-old nephew and another person.
January 28, Palm Bay: Man shot and killed a priest, a priest’s sister and his own grandfather, injuring two police officers.
February 28: Orlando: End of argument when the vehicle was to be returned as a result of which one person was killed and six were injured.
March 12, Act: Man with a knife wound accused of shooting and killing three women.
March 25, Pompano Beach: Several suspects who approached them shot a 16-year-old boy and three men. – said the MPs.
March 31, St. Petersburg: Men arguing outside the restaurant opened fire, injuring three men in their 20s and a 17-year-old girl– the police said.
April 5, Riviera Beach: Four injured in shootingincluding minors.
April 6, Doral: Man in the bar shoots and kills a security officersix people were injured in the shooting.
April 11, Orlando: Deputies responded to the call and four men were found shot dead. One died later.
April 27, Daytona Beach: Man shot and wounded four people during a “physical altercation.”
April 28, Sanford: 16-year-old shot and injured 10 people at a bar, including the WR Tank Dell in Houston, Texas.
April 29, Miami Gardens: Teen fight argument leaves five people injuredincluding two teenagers.
May 12, Tallahassee: Four people shot in a shopping center parking lottwo died.
May 18, Sarasota: One person died, four people (including Auburn RB Brian Battie) were injured.
May 25, Fort Pierce: Five people aged 15-20 he shot at a meeting.
June 2, Pensacola: One person was shot in the foot Police said three others were hit by gun shrapnel.
June 12, Hudson: The man admits to shooting two adults and killing two children, burning all four bodies in a fire pit
June 14, Fort Lauderdale: A drive-by shooting is visible to the left one person is dead and four are injured.
June 23, Tampa: Jacksonville rapper Julio Foolio was shot and killedand three other people were injured outside the Holiday Inn.
July 5, Tampa: Security guard, three witnesses injured in a fight.
July 8, Fort Lauderdale: What remained was a drive-by shooting man and woman dead and three other people, including a 2-year-old child, were injured.
July 28, Pensacola: Three killed, five wounded when three men opened fire on a group of people playing dice.
August 10, Jacksonville: Two women and four men in their teens to early twenties, they were shot and injured outside a pop-up club.
September 7, Opa Locka: This led to an argument that turned violent five people were shot and injured.
October 30, Dade City: Four people were shot Police reported that during an argument between neighbors.

(This story has been updated with new information.)