Hollywood, Florida police scene/ Twitter
A dispute between two groups led to the shooting of nine people, including four children, in Hollywood, Fla. on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29.
Young men were arguing outside stores on a busy boardwalk when one of them pulled out a gun and opened fire.
A viral video of the incident shows that hundreds, if not thousands, of people who visited the beach over the holiday weekend were exposed to gun violence.
Mayor Josh Levy of Hollywood called out the “altercation” between the two groups saying their actions were “just completely unacceptable.”
“People come to enjoy a holiday weekend on the beach with their families,” Levy said. “To have people in complete, reckless disregard of the safety of the public, and to have an altercation with guns in a public setting with thousands of people around them, is beyond reckless.”
Fortunately, all of the victims were immediately treated at the scene by good Samaritans, paramedics and police, and transported to area hospitals, including a children’s hospital, and were reportedly in stable condition.
“Thank you to the good Samaritans, paramedics, police and emergency room doctors and nurses for their immediate response to aid the victims of today’s shooting,” Levy said.
According to the New York Times, the victims are not being named, but of the four children, whose ages ranged from 1 to 17, and the five adults, whose ages ranged from 25 to 65, one of the nine victims underwent surgery.
Police spokeswoman Deanna Bettineschi said police believe some of the victims may have been bystanders caught in the fight between the two groups.
Only one person involved in the shooting has been arrested and another is being sought, but by and large the perpetrators of the shooting are still at large.
The NY Times also reported that the Hollywood Police Department had dozens of officers patrolling the area in anticipation of thousands of beachgoers for the Memorial Day holiday.
Chief Chris O’Brien is asking anyone who filmed the incident or has any knowledge of it to come forward and share information as the investigation continues.
“We will leave no stone unturned,” Chief O’Brien said, adding that those involved “will be held accountable for their actions.”
What has happened in Hollywood is part of a growing gun violence trend in Florida.
Gun violence in Florida has been a major issue in recent years. In 2023, there have been a number of high-profile mass shootings in the state, including the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, which left 17 people dead.
The Daytona Beach News-Journal has reported that there have been seven mass shootings in Florida so far in 2023, not including the Hollywood incident, which according to the Gun Violence Archive, is the latest mass shooting nationally.
The state has a long history of gun violence, and it is one of the most gun-friendly states in the country.
The issue of gun violence in Florida is a complex one: the state is the third most popular state, with no background check requirement for private gun sales, and there is a large military population that culturally accepts guns as normal, everyday life as opposed to those who depend on local law enforcement to use firearms.
USA Today reported that Gov. Ron DeSantis got rid of the state’s licensing requirements to carry a concealed firearm in most public places last month when he signed HB 543, which goes effect on July 1, making Florida the 26th state to not require a concealed weapons license.