By Rich McKay
(Reuters) – Gunfire erupted in the midst of Halloween festivities early on Sunday around a clutch of bars and clubs in the Florida city of Tampa, leaving at least two dead and 18 injured, police said.
A fight between two groups broke out around 3 a.m. in the historic neighborhood of Ybor City, police said, while hundreds of people filled the streets as the clubs and bars closed and then ran for their lives when the shooting began.
Videos posted on social media site X showed a chaotic scene of crowds of people running through the streets with the sound of at least a dozen shots ringing out. The videos showed police scrambling to give aid to costumed victims bleeding on the sidewalks.
“While early in the investigation, indications are that an altercation between two groups escalated to gunfire, resulting in one male subject dying at the scene and 19 victims being transported to nearby hospitals,” a Tampa police report said.
One of the victims died at the hospital, police said.
“Our thoughts are with the victims impacted by this senseless act and our detectives are committed to holding those involved accountable,” Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said in a statement.
One person has been detained early Sunday and police are looking for other suspected shooters.
(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Mary Milliken and Marguerita Choy)
