2 Dead, 18 Injured at Teen Nightclub Event in Fort Myers, Florida
No arrests have been made at this time.
— -- Two people were killed and 18 others were injured after a person opened fire during an event geared toward teenagers at Club Blu in Fort Myers, Florida.
Police have not determined a motive but said this is not an act of terror.
Police first responded to the scene at 12:30 a.m. Monday where "officers located several victims suffering from gunshots wounds," according to a statement released by the Fort Myers Police Department. The injuries ranged from minor to life-threatening, according to police, who also confirmed that all of the victims were transported by Lee County Emergency Medical Services to area hospitals.
Tatianna Nouhaioi said she was at the event when the shooting took place, and referred to the atmosphere inside as "under control," with security guards present.
"It was a young teen event. There were kids. The kid I was holding in my lap, he was 14 years old that got shot," Nouhaioi told ABC News. "And then there was a little girl who also got shot and she was 13. One of the security guard's daughter got shot, so I mean there was kids 13, 14, 15, 16. It was a young kids event."
Club Blu released a statement this morning, apologizing "deeply" for the incident.
"We are deeply sorry for all involved. We tried to give the teens WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A SAFE PLACE TO HAVE A GOOD TIME. Ages 12-17. There was armed security as well as full security,inside and out. As the club was closing and parents were picking their children up.....that's when all this took place. There was nothing more we could of done az [sic] you see it was not kids at the party that did this despicable act," the statement reads.
Hospital officials said the victims ranged from 12 to 27 years old. A total of 16 people were were treated in the trauma center and emergency department of Lee Memorial Hospital, a spokesperson confirmed, adding that one person expired at the hospital. Four victims are still being treated there, two of them in intensive care. All others have been treated and released, the spokesperson said.
Police said the scene is "safe" but still active as investigators attempt to determine what happened and the motive behind the shooting.
Two other crime scenes were also connected to the incident, where police said three people of interest have been detained.
No arrests have been made at this time.
The Fort Myers Police Department and Lee County Sheriff's Office are investigating the incident.