ZombiCon shooting in Fort Myers kills one, wounds five; gunman still at large
A gunman opened fire at Fort Myers' annual ZombiCon event Saturday night, killing a 20-year-old and injuring five others. The suspect remains at large.
Gunman kills one and wounds five at Fort Myers ZombiCon festival
A 20-year-old man was shot dead and five others wounded when an unidentified gunman opened fire in downtown Fort Myers on Saturday night, wgcu.org reports. The shooting took place during ZombiCon, the city's annual zombie-themed street festival, which had drawn more than 20,000 attendees.
The fatal victim was identified as Tyrell Taylor of Okeechobee. Four other wounded individuals were transported to Lee Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries; a fifth declined medical treatment.
Many of those present were dressed as zombies or zombie-outbreak survivors and were carrying toy guns and prop weapons, making it difficult in the immediate aftermath to distinguish the real shooter from the crowd.
The suspect remained at large as of Sunday morning. Fort Myers Police Department spokesman Lt. Victor Medico described the individual as a white or possibly Hispanic male in his late teens or early twenties, wearing a black t-shirt and a flat-billed black and red ball cap. The suspect was observed firing a black semi-automatic handgun before fleeing westbound on First Street toward the Federal Courthouse, Medico said.
Saturday's event was staffed by 30 law enforcement officers and 60 privately contracted security workers hired by ZombiCon organisers. ZombiCon spokeswoman Angeli Chin expressed condolences to the victims and their families and said organisers are now questioning whether the event should continue to be held in downtown Fort Myers in coming years. Questions around metal detectors, weapons checks and increased security staffing are also under discussion, according to Chin.
The Fort Myers Police Department is asking anyone who attended ZombiCon and captured photo or video footage relevant to the investigation to contact them at (239) 321-7700. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-780-TIPS or by texting CRIMES (274637).
Investigators have also released attendee-recorded video capturing the moment the shots were fired. Authorities caution that the footage contains strong language.
Source: Google News VG — Crime