Orlando police are searching for a motive after a Halloween shooting that killed two people in a crowded nightclub district. Here’s what we know – WSVN 7News | Miami news, weather, sports

(CNN) — Orlando police continued to search for a motive for two shootings Saturday left two people dead and injured eight others while thousands celebrated Halloween early Friday morning.

Police said they charged a 17-year-old man with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and six counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm.

The men killed were identified as 25-year-old Tyrek Hill and 19-year-old Timothy Schmidt Jr., Orlando police confirmed to CNN via email on Saturday. Police said the victims were between 18 and 39 years old.

Two people were admitted to Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition and were listed in stable condition Friday morning, hospital spokeswoman Marlei Martinez told CNN. Additionally, a 26-year-old woman was taken to hospital after she was trampled by passers-by while fleeing.

Orlando police have identified a tenth victim who was in stable condition after being taken to the hospital Friday morning.

It was the 27th mass shooting in Florida this year, according to the Gun Violence Archiveof which over 400 throughout the country. CNN defines a mass shooting as an incident in which at least four people are shot, not including the shooter.

The suspect opened fire at the first location and then fled with the crowd, Police Chief Eric Smith said, citing footage of the first shooting. In a second location, police shot the suspect moments after he opened fire, according to video footage.

About 100 officers worked in the area, which allowed for a quick response but did not deter the shooter, Smith said.

“No matter his attitude, he was going to shoot no matter what,” Smith said. “He passed many officers. He didn’t really care.

Authorities believe the shooter acted alone, Smith said Friday afternoon, adding that the suspect is not cooperating or talking to authorities. Smith said the suspect was previously arrested on suspicion of theft in 2023.

The police are checking whether the victims were accidental or known to the suspect. The video shows the moment police say the suspect walks past the victim, then turns around and shoots.

“Did he know him? Has he accidentally stumbled upon someone who is, for some reason, one of his enemies? It’s all part of it,” Smith said.

Smith said the suspect was questioned Friday morning while police searched for a motive. “This person here has wasted his life. What for? Smith said.

Authorities are considering whether to charge the suspect as an adult, State Attorney Andrew Bain said. “Clearly, given the multiple victims and the brazen nature of the crime, there are several aggravating factors that would be appropriate to charge him as an adult,” Bain said.

The attack was another example of shootings disrupting ordinary American lives, from parade routes to campus homecoming to a night out on the town.

The shots sent blocks flying from the scene fatal shooting at Pulse nightclub The incident took place on June 12, 2016, when a 29-year-old shooter killed 49 people. At least 53 other people were injured and police shot and killed the shooter at the scene.

Here’s what we know about Friday’s killings and the investigation so far:

“Everyone started running” when shots rang out

According to surveillance footage from the scene, shots rang out just after 1 a.m. Friday among people gathered for Halloween celebrations.

Sofia Alcala, who works downtown, told a CNN affiliate WKMG she heard gunshots before everyone started “going crazy.”

“Everyone started running,” she said. “I saw a group of people, you know, enjoying Halloween… and then shots were fired and everyone scattered. I heard many girls screaming and crying.”

Within minutes, shots were fired at a second location, about a block away. “Shortly after shots were reported, a shooting suspect was located and arrested at Washington and Orange,” Smith said. According to police, a gun was found at the scene.

Between 50,000 and 100,000 people in the area celebrated Halloween, which is “one of our busiest nights of the year,” Smith said.

But this year the measures used in previous years screening people for weapons during downtown Halloween celebrations — including checkpoints and gun-sniffing dogs — wasn’t possible because a 2023 state law allows most people to carry concealed weapons without a permit, Smith said.

“When the law changed, you can basically drive on a public street if you meet certain criteria,” he said.

The change “made it even easier for people to carry guns and bring them downtown,” Mayor Buddy Dyer said.

Dyer declared a state of emergency for businesses in Orlando’s entertainment district. Police said the 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. curfew will remain in effect until next Friday.

“We want a downtown that is fun and vibrant, but we have recently experienced brazen criminals eager to come downtown, shoot and kill innocent victims in front of our police officers,” Dyer said.

Police said they are reviewing what measures to add to secure the downtown area over the weekend, which is usually a popular gathering place on the Saturday after Halloween.

Some city officials have considered whether to close large portions of downtown, allowing only one-point access on weekends and during special events, Orlando District 5 Commissioner Shan Rose said. WKMG.

“We have been working with businesses and some downtown residents to explore options for a full, coordinated access point,” Rose said.

“The first thing I did was thank God I was still here.”

The two men killed included a University of Central Florida student, the Orlando-based university confirmed in an email to CNN on Friday.

“Our hearts are filled with sadness as we mourn this tragic, senseless violence that also injured at least one other student and may have impacted many students who were celebrating Halloween or were in the vicinity of this incident,” the university said. – the largest in Florida – the statement said.

Anthony Berry, 20, was grazed by a bullet in the upper part of his skull – the injury could have been more serious had it been an inch lower, Orlando Health trauma surgeon Joseph Ibrahim said at a press conference on Friday.

“When it happened, the first thing I did was thank God that I was still here,” said Berry, who plans to become a nurse. Berry was walking with a friend when the shooting began.

He recalled the suspected shooter making a quick hand movement, so Berry said he ducked before seeing a flash of white light.

He felt heat in his head and realized he was injured, Berry said.

“I go to EMT school, so I just had a trauma assessment. So my shirt… held the wound, I knew it was bleeding profusely,” he said. He was later taken to hospital.

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