Mass shooting in Orlando leaves two dead and six injured during Halloween celebrations

At least two people were killed in a mass shooting in downtown Orlando, where a Halloween celebration was taking place Friday morning.

Gunfire broke out outside The Block, a nightlife district made up of seven different clubs, as hundreds of revelers were in attendance, many of them dressed for a costume contest with cash prizes.

Police received reports of shots fired at Central Boulevard and Orange Avenue around 1:07 a.m., Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said during a news conference.

A second shooting was reported just minutes later at Washington Street and Orange Avenue – a block north.

Six others were injured and taken to local hospitals in stable condition. The victims' ages are between 19 and 31 years old.

Police officers pounced on the gunman, 17-year-old Jaylen Dwayne Edgar, after he opened fire on the crowd a second time, immobilizing him and arresting him.

Edgar was arrested in 2023 for grand theft.

When Edgar arrived in downtown Orlando, police did not see any of the clubs enter and is considered the only suspect. He was armed with a pistol.

During the press conference, Smith showed several videos from downtown nightlife at the time of the shooting.

In one video, Edgar, who was walking with a group, pulled out his gun and shot the unsuspecting victim at close range, sending the crowded street into turmoil.

Footage of the second shooting captured the moment Edgar again walked into a crowd near a patrol car.

An officer near the scene saw the teenage gunman, pulled his legs away from him and threw him to the ground before other officers jumped onto the pile.

“They are always trained and always ready to act,” Smith said. “As soon as they heard the shots, none of the officers went the other way, they didn’t go with the crowd. Most of them had a little bit of cover, they started scanning to see what was going on and then they moved, they took action to keep everyone else safe and that's what these officers do , and I’m very proud of her.”

According to Smith, between 50,000 and 100,000 people attended the Halloween celebrations.

“As you can see in this video, Halloween is always one of our busiest nights of the year,” Smith said. “Halloween night itself is busy, and the Saturday after Halloween is always just as busy.”

Police have not yet released a motive for the shooting.

Officials believe Edgar was determined to carry out a mass shooting as he walked past several officers through the crowd.

“Whatever his attitude was, he was definitely going to shoot,” Smith revealed. “He walked past several officers and we followed him wherever he went. He knew what he was going to do, what his mind thought he was going to do.”

“It's unfortunate that some people see someone they don't like or have an argument with and then take whatever action they want to take,” he added.

Prosecutor Andrew Bain said there were “several aggravating factors” that led to Edgar being charged as an adult.

“Given the numerous victims and the audacity of the crime, there are obviously several aggravating factors that fit into the matrix to charge him as an adult.”