Police were holding “multiple persons” in custody Tuesday after a shootout between two groups left nine people injured Monday evening at Florida’s Hollywood Beach boardwalk.
The gunfire erupted shortly before 7 p.m. and injured six adults and three children, said authorities, who planned a Tuesday press conference to release additional details. In a statement Tuesday morning, Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy thanked first responders for their work.
Hollywood Police have “dozens of officers assigned to the beach on busy holiday weekends and that allowed for an immediate response that resulted in multiple persons detained for this incident,” Levy said in the statement posted to Facebook.
Hollywood Beach is a popular beach destination about 11 miles south of Fort Lauderdale and 20 miles north of Miami.
Who was injured in the Hollywood Beach shooting?
The nine victims were transported Monday night to Memorial Regional Hospital and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital after receiving aid at the scene. The victims were six adults and three children, according to Yanet Obarrio Sanchez, a spokesperson for Memorial Healthcare System. All of the victims were in stable condition, she said.
Bettineschi said four children ages 1 to 17 were hit, along with five adults ages 25 to 65. One was in surgery late Monday while the others were stable, she said. It was not immediately clear whether the hospital was counting a 17-year-old as an adult.
Who are the suspects in the Hollywood Beach shooting?
Authorities have not yet offered specific details about the shooting suspects detained, or what might have sparked the confrontation. In his statement, Levy said the shooting was between two groups from outside the city, and a witness told the Associated Press that several young men were fighting outside a store when one of them pulled out a gun.
“It is completely unacceptable that innocent people spending time with family on a holiday weekend have been affected by a shooting altercation between two groups who came into our city with guns and with no regard for the safety of the law abiding public around them,” Levy said. “Law enforcement agencies are fully engaged in their investigation, and I assure you that no stone will be left unturned in bringing the perpetrators to justice. We will utilize every available resource to apprehend those responsible for these injuries.”
Contributing: Associated Press
