Two killed and 18 injured in Halloween weekend shooting on crowded Florida street
A fight descended into gunfire during Halloween festivities in Tampa
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Two people were killed and 18 others hospitalised after a shooting erupted on a crowded street during Halloween celebrations in Tampa, Florida.
The gunfire allegedly erupted during a fight between two groups early Sunday morning, police said. One suspect is in custody and at least one more is being sought.
At least two shooters opened fire just before 3am in the Ybor City area, Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw told a press conference.
The fight took place as “hundreds” of late-night revellers spilled out of closing bars and nightclubs in the area. Police were not immediately sure if the people involved in the fight were inside any of the bars before the shooting.
Tampa police spokeswoman Jonee Lewis said one person was detained but no charges were immediately filed. “They’re being questioned and we’ll go from there,” she said.
Video posted online shows people, many in Halloween costumes, drinking and talking on the street when about a dozen shots ring out followed seconds later by about eight more, creating a stampede. Some people topple over metal tables and take cover behind them. Video from the aftermath shows police officers treating several people lying wounded on the ground.
“It was a disturbance or a fight between two groups. And in this fight between two groups we had hundreds of innocent people involved that were in the way,” Mr Bercaw said.
Police are still investigating what sparked the fight.
Officers were at the scene at the time of the shooting but none were injured, Bercaw said.
On Sunday morning, the scene of the shooting was quiet — with few businesses open yet, as officers had the area blocked off. Roosters that roam the historic Ybor City streets wandered among empty cups, beer bottles and shoes left behind.
A witch costume sat in the street.
The Tampa tragedy was one of multiple mass shootings reported across the US over Halloween weekend, with a total of six people killed and more than 40 injured.
In Chicago, 15 people were hurt in a mass shooting at a Halloween party. Police arrived at the scene and witnessed a gunman shooting into the gathering.
The suspect, who has yet to be named, attempted to flee on foot but was quickly apprehended and taken into custody.
In Texarkana, Texas, three people were killed and three more injured during a party. The suspect in that shooting, identified by police as 20-year-old Breoskii Warren, is believed to be at large.
Another shooting in Indianapolis left one woman dead and eight others injured during a party attended by more than 100 people. The victims ranged in age from 16 to 22, police said.