Florida drive-by shooting injures 10 as Lakeland Police search for gunmen

Ten people were killed in a shooting from a passing car in Lakeland, Florida on Monday afternoon.

Lakeland Police Department published an explanation On his Twitter account, officials responded to multiple reports of a shooting around 3:43 p.m. local time. In the original statement, police said nine people were injured, including two seriously. Police Chief Sammy Taylor later said a 10th victim had been reported.

Taylor said at a news conference Monday night that police believe four people fired from the windows of a four-door Nissan at victims on either side of the street. Officers are looking for the vehicle.

Police also reported that all 10 victims were males between the ages of 20 and 35.

According to Taylor, officers found three victims at the scene while the other seven were taken to a nearby hospital in a private vehicle. Officers also found marijuana nearby, but it’s unclear if it’s related to the shooting.

Angelina Salcedo with Tampa Bay’s WTSP-TV reported that the shooting took place about a two-minute drive from Lakeland Police Station.

Of the two victims classified as critical, one was shot in the abdomen and the other was shot in the face, Taylor said. The police chief also reported that one of them underwent surgery.

Lakeland Police believe the shooting was a targeted event and it’s unclear if any of the victims fired at the vehicle. Police also found a gun in the private vehicle that was transporting some of the victims to the hospital.

Police see no reason for public concern at this time.

“It’s something Lakeland isn’t going to do,” Taylor told reporters at Monday’s briefing.

“I’ve been here for 34 years. I can tell you that I have never worked at an event where so many people were shot at the same time.”

Some Twitter users pointed the finger at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis after news of the Lakeland shooting broke, condemning legislation outlined by Florida House Speaker Paul Renner on Monday that would allow the would allow citizens to carry firearms without a permit.

After Politics, Florida would be the 26th state with such legislation if the law is passed in its GOP-controlled legislature.

When asked about the proposed gun licensing law, Taylor told reporters Monday, “I’ll let lawmakers legislate.”

news week has reached out to the DeSantis office for comment.