Orlando shootings: 17-year-old arrested after two people were killed and six injured as crowds gathered for Halloween, police said

CNN
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Two people were killed and six others injured after a gunman opened fire at two locations in downtown Orlando where large crowds had gathered to celebrate Halloween, Police Chief Eric Smith said at a news conference early Friday.

A 17-year-old suspect was arrested, Smith said. The injured victims were taken to a hospital and are stable.

Surveillance videos from the scene show large crowds gathering at each location for Halloween celebrations and then people dispersing when the shots were fired.

“Halloween is one of our busiest nights of the year,” Smith said, adding that between 50,000 and 100,000 people could gather for the celebration.

Footage of the first shooting showed the suspect opening fire before running away with the crowd, Smith said.

At a second location, police managed to take down the suspect shortly after they opened fire, the video shows.

About 100 officers are deployed in the area, allowing for a quick response, the chief added.

The suspect was arrested for grand theft back in 2023, Smith said.

The shooting is still under investigation.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

CNN’s Tina Burnside contributed to this report.