2 dead, 6 wounded in mass shooting during Halloween celebration in downtown Orlando
Eight people were shot, two fatally in a large crowd celebrating Halloween in downtown Orlando early Friday and a suspect was in custody, authorities said.
Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith told reporters the wounded were taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center and were in stable condition. They ranged in age from 19 to 39, he said.
CBS Orlando affiliate WKMG-TV quotes Smith as saying anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 people could have been downtown at the time of the shooting, judging by views of the huge Halloween crowds.
The suspect was identified as a 17-year-old male. Smith said he was arrested for grand theft last year.
There was no word on his hometown, what he was being charged with or the outcome of the other case. But WKMG reports that Orange-Osceola State Attorney Andrew Bain said during the news conference that it was likely the suspect could be charged as an adult, pending further investigation.
There was also no indication of why he allegedly opened fire.
The suspect is believed to be the only shooter, Smith said, adding that it was unclear whether he knew the victims.
WKMG says Smith told the news conference that, "We had about 100 officers who are working the detail, spread out. ... The officers responded very quickly, the officers did a great job. They responded right when they heard the shooting. You know, everybody else is running, they're not: They're sitting in position looking for a shooter. They found the shooter."
The station cited police as saying an emergency call came into dispatchers just after 1 a.m. EDT Friday indicating several people had been shot.
In a post on X early Friday calling it a "critical incident," police said they're "conducting a shooting investigation. ... We are still gathering information and interviewing witnesses."
The Police Department said it's considering the need for added patrols during the weekend.
