2 Dead, 6 Wounded in Mass Shooting at Halloween Celebrations in Downtown Orlando

Two people have died and six others have been injured in a Halloween night shooting in Orlando, Florida. 

Police said they received reports of gunfire in downtown Orlando in the area of Orange Avenue and Central Blvd at approximately 1:07 a.m. local time on Friday, Nov. 1.

"Within minutes, a second shooting was witnessed by officers south of Washington Street on Orange Avenue," the Orlando Police Department shared in a release obtained by PEOPLE.

Speaking in a press conference shared by local media outlet FOX 35 Orlando, Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith confirmed two people had died and the six others were transported to the hospital for treatment of gunshot wounds.  

“Those victims are currently in stable condition,” Smith said of the injured, who were transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center. 

According to an update from the police dept., the two deceased victims were males aged 19 and 25. The victim's ages range from 19 to 39 years old.

A suspect was located soon after the shooting and taken into custody. Police have identified him as 17-year-old Jaylen Dwayne Edgar, per the release. 

“He was previously arrested for grand theft in 2023,” Smith stated.

Police are continuing to investigate the shooting. “As we gather more information, we’ll provide you with another update,” Smith said. 

According to local media outlet WKMG-TV and NBC News, Smith said anywhere from 50,000 to 100,00 people could have been in the downtown area celebrating Halloween at the time of the shooting.

"Nearly 100 officers were patrolling Downtown at the time of the shooting, due to the large crowd expected on Halloween," the release added.

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Ahead of the press conference, Orlando Police posted about the shooting on X (formerly known as Twitter). 

“The Orlando Police Department is conducting a shooting investigation in Downtown Orlando,” the post read. “We are still gathering information and interviewing witnesses. We will have more information later this morning.”

The post was followed by an update reading, “UPDATE: Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith will provide an update to the media at OPD Headquarters at 4:45 a.m.”