Nine people, including 4 kids, shot near packed Florida beach on Memorial Day 

by Jacob Fuller

Trey Paul, FISM News 

Nine people are recovering, including four children, after shots rang out shortly before 7 p.m. on Monday evening along a beachside promenade in Hollywood, Florida.

A law enforcement spokesperson said the children are between the ages of 1 and 17. She said one of the five adults, between the ages of 25 and 65, was in surgery late Monday.

Investigators say a falling-out between two groups resulted in gunfire, which prompted thousands of nearby beach-goers to take off and run for cover. They said the shooting happened near a convenience store, a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop, and a Subway restaurant.

A new video from the page Insider Corner appeared to show the moments leading up to the shooting near the Hollywood Oceanfront Broadwalk.

A report in the Miami Herald included video from live cameras streaming to YouTube that captured some of the chaos after the shots were fired.

“It’s unfortunate we have law-abiding citizens who come to our beaches and that gets interrupted by a group of criminals,” Hollywood Police Chief Chris O’Brien said. So far, at least one person has been taken into custody but police say they are looking for more suspects.

The group RAWSALERTS also shared a video of the aftermath on its social media page linking the shooting to Margaritaville.

One man, Alvie Carlton Scott III, said he hid behind a tree after he heard numerous gunshots. Another man, Jamie Ward, said he was on the promenade when he saw several young men fighting in front of the stores. He said one pulled a gun and started shooting.

Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy said he was “deeply saddened and angered” by the shooting and released a statement on his Twitter page. He said in part:

People come to enjoy a holiday weekend on the beach with their families and 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. The Hollywood Police Department will leave no stone unturned. We do not appreciate when people come into our city with guns and have an altercation in the midst of a public setting here.

“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,” Mayor Levy also added.

Chief O’Brien said thousands of people were present and dozens of police officers responded, including some who were nearby.

CALIFORNIA’S NEWSOM SHOWS HIS IGNORANCE

Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom is facing backlash for what some of have recognized as an inaccurate tweet. He posted: “DeSantis signed a permit-less carry bill in April that removes requirements for: -background checks -instruction -training+oversight Until our leaders have the courage to stop bowing down to the NRA and enact common sense gun safety this kind of senseless violence will continue.”

One disabled veteran in Michigan called Gov. Newsom’s tweet an embarrassment and responded with this tweet of his own: “In a post last night he claimed the shooting in Florida happened because of a law that Ron DeSantis signed in April that no longer requires a permit to carry a concealed firearm. He was immediately proved wrong by @JeremyRedfernFL who pointed out that the law doesn’t take effect until July. He has yet to delete the tweet.

Hollywood Beach is a popular beach destination in Florida. It’s located 11 miles south of Fort Lauderdale and 20 miles north of Miami. Not surprisingly, the beach was packed on the Memorial Day holiday.

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