Gunfire between two groups near a beach in Hollywood, Florida, injured at least nine people Monday, officials said, in a shooting that left dozens of panicked beachgoers fleeing or taking cover.
Deanna Bettineschi, a spokeswoman for the Hollywood Police Department, said at a news conference Monday night that police responded to reports of shots fired near Hollywood Beach Broadwalk, about 20 miles north of Miami, earlier in the evening.
When police arrived, they found several people with gunshot wounds and began to provide assistance, Ms Bettineschi said. The victims were taken to local hospitals, including a children’s hospital.
Six adults and three children were among the victims, and all were in stable condition Monday night, a Memorial Healthcare System spokeswoman said in an email.
It is not clear what prompted the shooting and how many people were involved.
“There was a dispute between two different groups, and then there was gunfire,” Ms Bettineschi said.
One person of interest was in custody Monday evening and police were looking for another, she added.
The episode was one of the last cases of gun violence in the United States, with shootings occurring in common places such as schools, malls, dance halls, banks, and workplaces.
Monday’s shooting took place in a busy area along Hollywood Beach that is surrounded by bars, restaurants and hotels and where crowds had flocked on Memorial Day. Videos circulating on social media around the time of the shooting showed people running for cover while others ran from the boardwalk.
Other videos showed police officers and bystanders assisting victims on or near the sand of the beach.
“Thank you to the Good Samaritans, paramedics, police and emergency room doctors and nurses for their immediate response to help the victims of today’s shooting,” said Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy. in a post on Facebook Monday night.
Ms Bettineschi said police had set up a family help center in the area where witnesses could speak to detectives and families of victims could get information about their relatives.