ORLANDO, Fla. — Monday, July 31, marks one year since a downtown shooting injured nine people.
The Orlando Police Department followed several leads, however, police have yet to announce any arrests made in the case.
The shooting also prompted new safety policies downtown.
The landscape downtown undoubtedly looks different from what it did in July 2022. The weekend following the shooting, OPD bolstered patrols downtown and blocked off areas of North Orange Avenue for checkpoints. Soon after, the city began considering initiatives to combat crime.
In May 2023, downtown bars were required to abide by a new permit system in order to serve alcohol late into the evening. Dubbed the “After-Midnight Sales Permit,” the ordinance required bars to comply with measures like I.D. scanners or metal detectors in order to maintain their right to sell alcohol from midnight to 2 a.m.
City leaders also issued a temporary pause on new nightclubs opening in the downtown area through September. The City of Orlando is looking into extending this moratorium until March.
Though despite all the changes to Orlando nightlife, updates on catching the shooter have stalled.
In December, Chief Eric Smith announced that the department believed the shooting resulted from a gang-related scuffle. OPD released body camera footage showing persons of interest, and the gun allegedly used in the crime was recovered in Daytona Beach. Despite those steps in the case, the department has not announced any arrests.
If you have any evidence about the shooting, you can submit it here. You can also call Florida Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477).
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orange County School Board is considering a policy requiring all students to have their phones turned off and concealed when attending classes – which begin in a little more than a week. The phones would remain concealed the entire day including during recess and students would only be able to access them if there is an emergency. What You Need To Know Orange County School Board […]
