Florida mass shooting: 19-year-old killed, six injured after Fourth of July celebrations in Pensacola

A 19-year-old man was killed and six others were wounded in a mass shooting in downtown Pensacola, Fla., early Sunday after Fourth of July celebrations, police said.

The shooting happened around 1:20 a.m. in an area crowded with hundreds of teenagers and young adults. Authorities believe the attack was targeted and not random. No arrests have been made.

One dead, six injured

Pensacola Police Chief Eric Winstrom said the 19-year-old victim was pronounced dead at the scene, although officers were performing CPR.

The six injured victims, ranging in age from 16 to 26, were taken to local hospitals and are all expected to survive.

Filming followed the 4th of July celebrations

Officers heard gunfire near Intendencia Street between Jefferson and Palafox streets shortly after 1:20 a.m., according to police.

Responding officers found several victims with gunshot wounds and immediately began providing first aid.

Police spokesman Mike Wood initially warned the public to avoid the area while officers secured the scene.

A large crowd had gathered in the center of the city

Winstrom said hundreds of “unaccompanied young people” gathered downtown after Independence Day celebrations.

He described the crowd as including middle school-aged children without adult supervision. Police deployed about 50 additional officers due to the expected crowd.

Before the shooting, officers had already made about five arrests for unrelated disorderly conduct, including one juvenile accused of setting off fireworks into a crowd.

Police believe the attack was targeted

“We believe it was targeted,” Winstrom told reporters. “We do not believe this was a random act from the very preliminary investigation that we had.

He said investigators are receiving significant cooperation from witnesses and nearby businesses.

The crime scene stretched the length of Intendencia Street between Jefferson and Palafox, with some of the victims running past the original shooting scene after being hit.

An investigation is underway

Winstrom said investigators are still determining how many shots were fired and whether more than one shooter was involved.

“When I heard the shots myself, it sounded like a volley,” he said, adding that he wouldn’t be surprised if investigators determined 10 to 20 or more rounds were fired.

Detectives, forensic specialists and the medical examiner remained at the scene Sunday morning as the investigation continued.