During the celebration of Halloween in Orlando, as a result of shooting, 2 died and 7 were injured

ORLANDO, Florida — A gunman who opened fire during a Halloween street party that drew thousands of costumed revelers in downtown Orlando killed two people and wounded seven others early Friday, authorities said.

Officers quickly apprehended the 17-year-old suspect, Police Chief Eric Smith said during a briefing. The authorities have not yet determined the motive.

A gunman opened fire in a bar and restaurant district in downtown Orlando around 1 a.m. Officers responded as costumed revelers fled and the same gunman fired another shot about a block away, Smith said.

According to Smith, the seven injured, ranging in age from 19 to 39, were taken to hospital and are in stable condition. A 10th victim was treated after being trampled by the crowd as people fled.

One of the dead Halloween partygoers and another injured were students at the University of Central Florida, the school said in a statement Friday.

The shooting “may have affected many students who were celebrating Halloween and were in the vicinity of the incident,” the university said. “Our thoughts are with all the loved ones affected at this incredible time.”

Smith showed footage from street surveillance cameras and a police officer’s body camera that captured the shooting and apprehension of the suspect.

After the first shots were fired, police used security camera footage to describe the suspect, but then police saw him open fire at a second location, Smith said.

“Whatever his mindset was, he was going to shoot no matter what,” Smith said.

According to him, law enforcement officers found a gun at the place of arrest, and there are no other suspects. Police announced later Friday that the 17-year-old was charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and six counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm.

More than 100 officers patrolled the crowd of 50,000 to 100,000 people celebrating Halloween Thursday night and early Friday morning, one of the biggest events in downtown Orlando each year, Smith said.

The Halloween celebration took place about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Orlando’s tourist area and primarily attracts Central Florida residents. Tens of thousands of revelers also typically celebrate downtown on the Saturday after Halloween.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer on Friday declared a state of emergency in the downtown entertainment district. For the next seven days, alcohol sales will stop at midnight and a curfew will be in place from 1am to 5am.

“We do not take this decision lightly, and we took a number of other steps before we got to this point,” Dyer said.

During past Halloween celebrations, police have blocked downtown streets and used dogs to check for weapons as people passed checkpoints, but changed their procedures after Florida lawmakers passed permit-less concealed carry law in 2023– said the police chief.

“You can carry a gun on public streets if you meet certain criteria,” Smith said. “So then it changed, we couldn’t do that anymore.”

Florida State Attorney Andrew Bain said his office is awaiting more information from police investigating the case before deciding whether to charge the teenager as an adult.