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Nine people injured as gunfire erupts on busy Florida beach boardwalk

Miami, US, May 29 (EFE).- Nine people were injured as gunfire erupted during an altercation between two groups on a busy beach promenade in the Florida city of Hollywood on Monday, according to police.

The incident took place at around 6.30 pm local time at the end of a busy Memorial Day long weekend along the Broadwalk, a bustling walkway that runs along the beach and lined with restaurants and shops.

Police said it started as a dispute between two groups of people and that one person has been detained with another person still being sought.

A police spokeswoman appeared briefly before reporters and confirmed nine people, including at least one child, had been taken to hospital. No details of their condition were given.

A spokeswoman for Memorial Regional Hospital told NBC6 that up to five victims were being treated at the hospital’s trauma center.

Live beach webcams captured people running for cover along the Broadwalk and the beach, according to footage posted on social media and by news outlets.

“Thank you to the good samaritans, paramedics, police and emergency room doctors and nurses for their immediate response to aid the victims of today’s shooting,” Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy wrote on Facebook.

Monday is Memorial Day holiday in the US and the Florida beaches were packed with locals and tourists for the long weekend, considered the official start of summer in the country.

At least 16 people have been killed and dozens injured in shootings in the US over the long weekend, according to a count by NBC.

Hollywood police asked the public to stay away from the promenade due to the ongoing investigation, and asked those who had recorded images of the incident to send them to police.

A family reunification center has been set up near the site for people who may have lost their relatives in the chaos. EFE

ar/tw

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