Nine people, including a one-year-old infant, were shot during an altercation between two groups near a busy seashore area in Hollywood, Florida.
Deanna Bettineschi, the spokesperson for the Hollywood Police Department, told reporters that police had detained one person of interest but are still searching for an additional suspect described as a Black male with dreadlocks and wearing a black short-sleeve shirt and camouflage shorts.
Packed Florida Beach Erupts Into Chaos
The shooting reportedly occurred near Johnson Street and North Broadwalk, a busy palm-tree-lined pedestrian promenade that straddles the shore and is lined with restaurants and stores.
The sound of gunfire caused people to retreat down the busy sidewalk and into the adjacent sand, as evidenced by live broadcasts from the city's beach camera. When police arrived in the area at 6:45 p.m. ET, they discovered nine individuals with gunshot wounds, as per CNN.
According to Memorial Healthcare System spokesperson Yanet Obarrio-Sánchez, the injured were transported to Memorial Regional Hospital and Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital.
Although the hospital spokesperson stated that all of the victims were in stable condition, Bettineschi reported that one individual was undergoing surgery on Monday evening. Authorities advise avoiding the area while the investigation continues.
Six adults and three children were among the victims, and all were in stable condition as of Monday evening, according to an email from the Memorial Healthcare System. It is unknown what caused the gunfire or how many individuals were involved.
The incident was among the most recent instances of gun violence in the United States, where shootings have occurred in schools, malls, dance halls, banks, and workplaces.
On Monday, a shooting occurred in a busy location along Hollywood Beach that was encircled by bars, restaurants, and hotels and where Memorial Day vacation crowds had gathered. During the time of the gunfire, social media videos depicted people ducking for shelter while others fled the boardwalk area.
Per NY Times, other recordings depicted police officers and bystanders assisting victims on or near the shore sand. Bettineschi stated that the police had established a family assistance center in the area, where witnesses could communicate with detectives and victims' families could obtain information about their loved ones.
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Memorial Day Shootings Across US
Over the Memorial Day weekend, at least 16 people were killed, and dozens more were injured in shootings across the United States. At least eight states experienced gun violence at beaches, high schools, and motorcycle rallies, among other locations. The victims were adolescents to those in their sixties.
The weekend concluded with gunfire, as it had begun. Telemundo Chicago cameras captured a confrontation between two groups of individuals on Chicago's North Avenue Beach on Friday afternoon as one of the first reports of gun violence over the holiday weekend. There were firearms, but no one was injured, according to NBC News.
While Friday's shooting did not result in any injuries, over eight people were slain, and at least 32 others were injured in Chicago shootings over the holiday weekend. There were numerous reports of shootings across the remainder of the United States, but the total number does not appear to be unusual for a holiday weekend.
A daily average of 57 gun-related homicides occurs in the United States, according to a Pew Research Center analysis. Officials have verified that a dispute between two men resulted in gunfire that injured five persons in Baltimore around 3:30 p.m. on Friday.
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