Fort Myers nightclub shooting: 2 dead, 14 others wounded after teen event
At least two people were killed and more than a dozen others injured after a shooting outside a Florida nightclub hosting an event for teens, officials said early Monday.
The gunfire rang out just as family members were picking up their kids from Club Blu in Fort Myers, where the "no ID required" party had just finished.
Some of the victims were aged as young as 12, according to authorities.
"We are deeply sorry for all involved," Club Blu said in a Facebook post. "We tried to give the teens what we thought was a safe place to have a good time."
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The club said there was "armed security" at the event for children between the ages of 12 and 17, adding there "was nothing more we could have done." Although police did not immediately give information about the identity of the suspects, the club said that "it was not kids at the party that did this despicable act."
Police said that officers responded to the parking lot of Club Blu at around 12:30 a.m. to find multiple people suffering gunshot wounds ranging from minor to life-threatening
Of the 16 people taken to Lee Memorial Hospital, one died after being admitted and two others were in the intensive-care unit as of early Monday.
One other person was confirmed killed in the incident, according to police.
The victims were aged between 12 and 27, hospital spokeswoman Cheryl Garn said in a statement.
NBC station WBBH reported that both of those killed were male.
Shots were also fired — lightly injuring another person — five blocks away from the nightclub, police said.
Three people were detained for questioning early Monday.
Earlier, officers said three people left the scene in a car with two later fleeing the vehicle, according to WBBH reporter Gabrielle Shirley.
More than three dozen yellow evidence markers were visible outside the club, which WBBH said indicated where bullet casings had fallen.
Shirley reported that "a big crowd of people scattered everywhere taking cover" when the gunshots rang out.
She added that an employee at the club was too shocked to speak. "He was just shaking his head, and through tears giving me the indication again that this is a very, very traumatic experience here, he could not even form words," Shirley added.
Before detaining the trio, authorities said the Fort Myers Police Department and Lee County Sheriff's Office were "actively canvassing the area looking for other persons who may be involved in this incident."
Detectives had yet to determine a motive early Monday.