At least nine people, including a one-year-old, were injured in a shooting that took place on Memorial Day at a boardwalk in Hollywood, Florida.
Gunfire broke out before 7pm local time along the Hollywood Oceanfront Broadwalk between Johnson Street and Garfield Street on Monday (29 May).
The shooting seemed to be a result of a dispute between “two different groups”, according to Hollywood Police Department public information manager Deanna Bettineschi.
Videos from the incident on Monday (29 May) evening showed crowds of people running for cover as gunfire occurred.
Police swiftly responded to the incident and began treating those who had suffered gunshot wounds.
The victims include four children between the ages of one and 17 years old, as well as five adults between 25 and 65 years old. As of Monday evening, one victim was in surgery while eight others were stable.
The Hollywood Police have arrested two people while searching for three additional suspects.
Here’s everything we know so far.
How the shooting unfolded
Gunfire suddenly erupted just before 7pm on Memorial Day (29 May) as individuals and families walked along the Hollywood Oceanfront Broadwalk near Johnson Street and North Broadwalk.
The boardwalk, which is lined with shops and eateries, is a popular tourist destination as it is approximately 20 miles north of Miami.
However, it was expected to be even busier due to the holiday weekend.
The shooting occurred after two groups began having a dispute, according to Ms Bettineschi, the public information manager for the Hollywood Police.
One witness, Jamie Ward, told the Associated Press that several young men were fighting in front of one of the stores when one pulled out a gun.
Security camera footage from the boardwalk showed people frantically running and taking cover near a convenience store, a Ben & Jerry’s and a Subway shop as the gunfire began.
Another witness, Alvie Carlton Scott III, told the AP he was on the beach when he heard gunshots. Mr Scott said he hid behind a tree and then fled the area after a police officer told people to run.
The mayor of Hollywood, Josh Levy, said in a statement that he was “deeply saddened and angered” by the shooting.
“People come to enjoy a holiday weekend on the beach with their families and to have people in complete reckless disregard of the safety of the public and to have an altercation with guns in a public setting with thousands of people around them is beyond reckless,” Mr Levy said in a press conference.
Footage posted to social media from witnesses showed law enforcement, first responders and good samaritans attending to victims of the shooting.
The victims
Police said nine people, including four children, suffered gunshot wounds.
The victims were taken to Memorial Regional Hospital and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital to be treated for their injuries.
The names of the victims have not yet been released, though preliminary information indicated that the victims included a one-year-old child, three people under the age of 17, and five people between 25 and 65 years old.
However, Yanet Obarrio Sanchez, a spokesperson for Memorial Healthcare System told USA Today that the hospital was tending to six adults and three children, it is unclear if the hospital was treating the 17-year-old victim as an adult.
As of Tuesday afternoon, three of the nine victims were treated and discharged from the hospital. The six others remain in stable condition.
The suspects
The FBI and Hollywood Police Department are currently looking for three suspects of interest in connection to the shooting. Police have released photos of the people they are searching for.
Following the shooting, several people were detained and two people, Morgan Deslouches and Keshawn Stewart, were arrested on firearm-related charges.
According to police, five firearms were recovered two of which were stolen from Texas and Miami.
Mr Deslouches, 18, is charged with grand theft of a firearm, carrying a concealed firearm and removing serial numbers from a firearm.
Mr Stewart, 18, is charged with carrying a concealed firearm.
Ms Bettineschi said anyone with videos or photos from the incident should send them to hollywoodpdtips@hollywoodfl.org.
