Halloween celebrations were shattered when shots rang out overnight in Tampa, Florida, and Chicago, Illinois.
Chicago
At approximately 1 a.m., in the 1200 block of South Pulaski Road in Chicago, a Halloween celebration turned into a scene of terror as a male shooter opened fire into the crowd.
The shooter injured 15 people, according to police.
Responding officers swiftly arrived at the scene, witnessing the chaos and danger that ensued.
Despite the shooter’s attempt to flee the scene, law enforcement officers acted swiftly and managed to apprehend the suspect a short distance away.
During the arrest, a handgun was recovered from the suspect, serving as crucial evidence in the ongoing investigation.
The victims of the mass shooting ranged in age from 26 to 53
Among the wounded, two individuals are currently in critical condition and require urgent medical attention. A 26-year-old woman sustained gunshot wounds to her hip and buttocks, while a 48-year-old man suffered from multiple gunshot wounds.
Tampa
Early on Sunday morning, during Halloween celebrations in Ybor City, a fight broke out with gunshots, leaving two people dead and eighteen hospitalized.
According to Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw, during a press conference held at the scene, officers responded to the shooting in Tampa just before three in the morning on the 1600 block of East 7th Avenue in the Ybor City area.
According to Bercaw, there were a lot of late-night partygoers in the vicinity at the time of the fight, which took place near a number of bars and clubs. Before the shooting, the police did not know for sure if any of the individuals fighting had been inside any of the bars.
Online footage shows people talking and drinking in the street while dressed as Halloween characters just before gunfire breaks out, causing a stampede.
A few people threw over metal tables and ran for cover. Police officers were seen treating multiple wounded people who were lying on the ground in footage from the aftermath.
There was a burst of around twelve shots, and then, a few seconds later, there were about eight shots.
“It was a disturbance or a fight between two groups. And in this fight between two groups, we had hundreds of innocent people involved that were in the way,” Bercaw said.
He withheld information about the specific wounds sustained by the victims, who were brought to nearby hospitals.
According to police, one suspect was detained, and at least two shooters are thought to have been involved, according to Bercaw.
The police are still looking into what caused the altercation between the two groups.
According to Bercaw, there were officers present at the location when the gunshot occurred, but none were injured.
Investigators encouraged anyone with information that could help with the investigation to give Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay a call at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477) or Tampa Police at 813-231-6130.
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