LAUDERHILL, FLA. (WSVN) - A Labor Day celebration in Lauderhill took a terrifying turn as gunshots rang out, sending partygoers fleeing in fear. The incident unfolded around 12:23 a.m. and left a trail of chaos, but fortunately, all three individuals who were shot survived the ordeal.
Cell phone videos captured the abrupt shift from merriment to mayhem in a span of just three minutes. What began as a joyous gathering devolved into a scene of pandemonium, as revelers scrambled for safety.
Keiana McDonald, one of the attendees, recounted the experience.
“We heard the shots; everyone ran out this gate. People were trampling people. My sister’s like, ‘Come on, come on.’ I ran, a guy jumped on my head,” she said.
Lauderhill police quickly responded to the incident as they were in the vicinity of 1400 N. SR. 7 after they responded to an unrelated matter when they received the call about the shooting.
According to officials, authorities discovered a man in the parking lot with a single gunshot wound to the back of his head. They also found a woman with a single gunshot wound to her shoulder at the front of the same location. A third victim, an unidentified individual, later arrived at Florida Medical Center with a single gunshot wound to the front of the head.
All three victims were subsequently transported to Broward Health Fort Lauderdale for medical treatment and have survived their injuries.
As daylight broke on Monday, the aftermath of the chaotic event became evident. Shoes scattered on the ground, knocked-over tables and chairs, and other belongings lay strewn across the area, bearing witness to the frantic escape just hours earlier.
McDonald returned the following morning in search of her belongings, including her AirPods.
“One of the guys who were shot came up to us and was like, ‘I was shot.’ I was like, ‘No, you’re not.’ He touched his head and he’s like, ‘Yeah, on my head,’ and then blood started running,” she recalled.
McDonald was grateful she made it home safely to her loved ones.
“It was crazy. I was just like we have to make it out because I have a kid at home and I’m not playing any games with nobody. Bullets have no name at all,” she said.
The Lauderhill Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division (CID) and Crime Scene Investigations (CSI) unit have taken charge of the investigation into this incident.
As of Monday, there are no known suspects, and the motive behind the shooting remains under investigation.
The three victims are expected to be okay, according to police.
The concert promoters put out a statement regarding the shooting on their Instagram page.
If you have any information on this crime, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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