Florida mass shooting: 19-year-old killed, six injured after fourth of July celebrations in Pensacola
A 19-year-old man was killed and six others were injured in a mass shooting in downtown Pensacola, Florida, early Sunday after Fourth of July celebrations
A 19-year-old man was killed and six others were injured in a mass shooting in downtown Pensacola, Florida, early Sunday after Fourth of July celebrations, police said. The shooting occurred around 1:20 a.m. in an area crowded with hundreds of teenagers and young adults. Authorities believe the attack was targeted and not a random act. No arrests have been made. One dead, six injured Pensacola Police Chief Eric Winstrom said the 19-year-old victim was pronounced dead at the scene despite officers administering CPR. The six injured victims, ranging in age from 16 to 26, were taken to area hospitals and are all expected to survive.
Shooting followed July 4 celebrations According to police, officers heard gunfire near Intendencia Street between Jefferson and Palafox streets shortly after 1:20 a.m. Responding officers found multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds and immediately began providing first aid. Police spokesman Mike Wood initially alerted the public to avoid the area while officers secured the scene. Large crowd gathered downtown Winstrom said hundreds of "unaccompanied young people" had gathered downtown following Independence Day celebrations. He described the crowd as including children as young as middle school age without adult supervision.
Police had deployed around 50 additional officers because of the expected crowds. Before the shooting, officers had already made about five arrests for unrelated disruptive behavior, including one juvenile accused of firing fireworks into the crowd. Police believe attack was targeted "We believe that it was targeted," Winstrom told reporters. "We don't believe it was a random act at all from the very preliminary investigation that we had." He said investigators were receiving significant cooperation from witnesses and nearby businesses. The crime scene stretched along the length of Intendencia Street between Jefferson and Palafox, with some victims running beyond the initial shooting location after being struck.
Investigation underway Winstrom said investigators are still determining how many shots were fired and whether more than one shooter was involved. "Hearing the shots myself, it sounded like a volley of fire," he said, adding that he would not be surprised if investigators determined that 10 to 20 or more rounds had been fired.
The BriefWire