Halloween was imagined to be a fun night for Orlando residents, but it surely resulted in tragedy. A gunman opened fire and shot multiple victims in downtown Orlando throughout the early morning hours of November 1, 2024. Now, police have a suspect in custody.
This isn’t the primary time the town — which is home to a few of the nation’s hottest tourist attractions — has experienced a mass shooting. In June 2016, 49 people were fatally shot on the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. Following a three-hour standoff, police shot and killed the shooter.
Further details and updates on the Halloween mass shooting in Orlando are below.
UPDATE: The Orlando Police Department has released video footage capturing the shooting incident in Downtown Orlando, together with the arrest of the suspect, Jaylen Dwayne Edgar.
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— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) November 1, 2024
What Happened in Orlando on Halloween?
At roughly 1:00 a.m. on November 1, police responded to a shooting near East Central Boulevard and North Orange Avenue in Orlando, based on WFLA. Orlando Police claimed they’d about 100 officers patrolling the realm that evening due to the mass crowds that accompany Halloween.
During a subsequent press conference on November 1, Mayor Buddy Dyer spoke out concerning the violence. He noted, “We would like a downtown that’s fun and vibrant, but we’ve experienced these days that brazen criminals are willing to come back downtown and shoot and kill innocent victims, right in front of our law enforcement officials. And it’s unlucky that the changes in state concealed weapons laws have made it even easier for people to hold guns and produce guns downtown.”
“Truthfully, I’m frustrated to should stand in front of you all and again, share the news that we now have senselessly lost one other life attributable to gun violence,” Dyer added.
In 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis passed laws allowing state residents to hold a concealed loaded weapon with out a permit.
How Many People Died From the Mass Shooting?
Two out of nine people were killed throughout the Orlando Halloween mass shooting, per WFLA. Six of the victims were hospitalized. The ages of the victims range from 19 to 39 years old.
Information on the Orlando Shooting Suspect
A 17-year-old named Jaylen Dwayne Edgar was taken into custody, police said. Edgar has a previous arrest record. In 2023, Edgar was arrested for grand theft in 2023, per NBC News. He has been charged with two counts: one for first-degree murder with a firearm and 6 counts of attempted first degree murder with a firearm.
