At least two people were killed in a mass shooting in downtown Orlando, Fla., which was hosting a Halloween celebration Friday morning.
Gunfire erupted outside The Block, a nightlife area consisting of seven separate clubs, as hundreds of revelers were in attendance, many dressed for a cash-prize costume contest.
Police received reports of shots being fired around 1:07 a.m. at Central Boulevard and Orange Avenue, Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said during a press conference.
A second shooting was reported at Washington Street and Orange Avenue, a block north, just minutes later.
Six others were wounded and rushed to local hospitals in stable condition. The victims’ ages range from 19 to 31.
Cops pounced on the shooter, identified as 17-year-old Jalen Dwayne Edgar, after he opened fire on the crowd a second time, immobilizing and arresting him.
Edgar was arrested for grand theft in 2023.
Police didn’t see Edgar enter any of the clubs when he arrived in downtown Orlando and he is believed to be the sole suspect. He was armed with a handgun.
During the press conference, Smith showed multiple videos from the downtown nightlife at the moment of the shooting.
In one video, Edgar, who was walking with a group, pulled out his gun and fired point-blank at the unsuspecting victim, sending the packed avenue into a frenzy.
Footage from the second shooting captured the moment Edgar again fired into a packed crowd near a police cruiser.
One officer nearby saw the teen gunman, swept his legs from underneath him and tackled him to the ground before other cops jumped onto the pile.
“They’re always trained, and they’re always ready to act,” Smith said. “As soon as they heard the shots fired, none of the officers went the other way, they didn’t go with the crowd.”
“Most of them got a little cover between them, they started scanning to see what was going on and then they moved, they took action to keep everyone else safe and that’s what these officers do and I’m very proud of them,” he added.
Smith estimated between 50,000 and 100,000 people attended the Halloween celebrations.
“As you can see from this video, Halloween is one of our busiest nights of the year, always is,” Smith said. “Halloween night itself is busy and the Saturday after Halloween is always just as busy.”
Police have yet to release a motive behind the shooting.
Officials believe Edgar was determined to commit a mass shooting, as he walked past several officers through the crowds.
“Whatever his mindset was, he was gonna shoot no matter what,” Smith revealed. “He walked by multiple officers, we followed where he came. He knew what he was gonna do, what he thought his mind was going to do.”
“It’s unfortunate some people see somebody they don’t like or somebody they have some sort of beef with and they take whatever action they’re going to take,” he added.
State Attorney Andrew Bain said there are “several aggravating factors” leading to Edgar being charged as an adult.
“Obviously from the multiple victims and the brazen nature of the crime, there’s several aggravating factors that fit inside the matrix to charge him as an adult.”
