Yahoo Sports Two arrested in Hollywood Beach shooting that left 9 wounded on Memorial Day
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911 CALLS: ‘It’s time to go:’ Frantic 911 calls reveal chaos during Hollywood Beach mass shooting
Nine people, including four children, were shot Monday evening after police said a dispute between two groups escalated to gunfire on the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk — prompting thousands of Memorial Day beach-goers to hysterically scatter and duck for cover.
Hollywood police on Tuesday announced the arrest of two individuals on gun charges in connection to the mass shooting although detectives haven’t identified them as the shooters. Investigators also recovered five guns of which two were stolen from Miami-Dade County and Texas respectively, police said in a news release.
Authorities didn’t immediately name the people arrested or what specific charges they are facing.
Police is looking to identify three people who they believe are involved in the shooting. Video surveillance puts them near the crime scene at the time of the incident, according to detectives, and the security footage was provided to the media.
Detectives didn’t give descriptions of these individuals nor did they immediately say how these people are involved in the shooting.
What happened?
Around 6:45 p.m. Monday authorities received a call about shots fired near Johnson Street, located west of the Hollywood Beach Theater, Deanna Bettineschi, a spokeswoman with the Hollywood Police Department, told reporters in a news conference.
The city’s web cameras captured the chaos that ensued: People running away from the gun shots, a woman trying to cover a kid with her body and others carrying babies and toddlers to safety.
Authorities took the victims to Memorial Regional Hospital and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood. One of the wounded was undergoing surgery as of 10:30 p.m. Monday; the others were already stable.
The children’s ages range from 1 to 17 years; the adults’ ages range from 25 to 65, Bettineschi told reporters Monday night.
Jamie Ward, a Hollywood Beach resident, detailed arriving at the bandshell area about five minutes after the gunfire erupted. He saw a man sitting down with a tourniquet on his leg, another man being whisked away on a gurney into an ambulance and a woman who had been shot lying on the sand.
“These innocent people were hit,” he said.
What are authorities saying?
“I’m saddened and angered,” said Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy during the late night press conference. “People come to enjoy a holiday weekend on the beach with their families and to have people ... have an altercation with guns in a public setting with thousands of people around them is beyond reckless.”
Police Chief Chris O’Brien called it a “senseless act of gun violence.” He also thanked the first responders and good samaritans who helped the victims and asserted the officers will track down the “criminals.”
“We will leave no stone unturned,” he said. “These that were involved in the incident today will he held accountable for their actions.”
Anyone has information about the shooting is encouraged to contact the Hollywood Police Department at 954-764-4357(HELP) or 954-967-4567. Tipsters can e-mail or text any video or photos they may have to hollywoodpdtips@hollywoodfl.org. Information can also be given anonymously to Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477(TIPS) or browardcrimestoppers.org.
