Shooting at Hollywood’s Broadwalk, 9 hospitalized
A shooting incident between two groups on the Broadwalk in Hollywood, Florida left nine people hospitalized, including three children, as reported by a police department spokesperson. The incident took place on Monday, and Hollywood police received a call of multiple people being shot in the 1200 block of North Broadwalk at around 6:42 p.m. adjacent to the Hollywood Beach Theatre.
According to a witness, the incident started as a fist fight between two groups of teenagers and soon escalated when one of them pulled out a handgun. Preliminary investigations reveal that the altercation escalated between the two groups, resulting in gunfire. One person of interest has been detained, while police are still searching for another suspect described as a male with black dreads, black short sleeve shirt, and camo shorts.
The injured were taken to nearby Memorial Regional Hospital and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. All of them were reported to be in stable condition, but the ages of the victims have not been released yet. The Hollywood police department is still investigating the case, and they have urged people to avoid Hollywood beach from Johnson to Garfield streets and the Broadwalk “due to an ongoing investigation,” according to police on Twitter.
Alvie Carlton Scott III, an eyewitness on the beach, said he heard numerous gunshots go off and then hid behind a tree before fleeing the area when a police officer told people to run. Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy expressed his gratitude towards the good samaritans, paramedics, police, and emergency room doctors and nurses for their immediate response to aid the victims of the shooting.
A family reunification area has been set up at the bus loop at Johnson Street and North Ocean Drive, police said. Live footage from the beach camera showed crowds scrambling along the Broadwalk. The city of Hollywood has a live link to the Broadwalk, which witnesses and people can tune in for further updates on the ongoing investigation.
