Florida police seized enough guns from rowdy spring breakers to unleash violence on a “small army” in the middle of a weekend.
Police in Panama City Beach, a popular party destination for college students, seized 75 illegal guns over the weekend and arrested more than 160 “pathetic cowards,” officials said during a news conference Monday.
“These weapons were seized over a two-day period,” said JR Talamantez, chief of the beach police, reported the Panama City News Herald. “It could arm a small army. Semi-automatic weapons, long rifles, these are weapons that are brought to a holiday destination. These are guns brought to a beach.”
The beach town also saw a surge in violence over the weekend, including a shooting on Sunday that left one person injured.
Talamantez warned Monday that the criminals ravaging Florida’s beaches “will soon find out what justice looks like.”
“Here we stand today, not just as law enforcement officers, not just as city or county leaders, but as united citizens of Bay County,” Talamantez said. “What we saw last weekend is absolutely unacceptable, period. Those pathetic cowards who have come and committed these crimes – their actions will not be tolerated.”
The chaos comes as Miami Beach was forced to enforce a 6 p.m. curfew over the weekend to scare away the roaming packs of spring breakers ravaging the South Florida city.
Police in Panama City Beach, Florida, seized 75 guns over the weekend, including handguns, shotguns, semi-automatic guns and long rifles
Officers also arrested 161 people on Saturday and Sunday, police confirmed during a news conference on Monday. Eighty of those arrested were from Alabama
The beach town also saw a surge in violence over the weekend, including a Sunday afternoon shooting that injured a 21-year-old. The police are pictured at the crime scene
Despite the number of guns seized in Panama City, police said only one shooting was reported over the weekend.
An unnamed 21-year-old from Alabama was shot in the foot near a local Waffle House restaurant around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, WVTM reported. The young adult suffered life-threatening injuries.
Six people, including suspected gunman Javonte Sanders, are currently being held in connection with the shooting.
Police allege Sanders, 22, of Cropwell, Alabama, fired the gun that hit the victim. He is being held on gun-related charges and the shooting is still under investigation.
Talamantez said TV station officials initially responded to the area after finding several people with weapons, including automatic weapons.
Police recovered 26 shell casings from three different guns at the scene – a 9mm caliber, a .40 caliber and a .45 caliber.
Authorities did not specify which gun was allegedly fired by Sanders.
The beach’s police chief, JR Talamantez, said officers seized enough guns to “arm a small army.”
The weapons were confiscated over a two-day period. Talamantez warned Monday that the criminals plaguing Florida’s beaches “will soon find out what justice looks like.”
A shooting also broke out in Panama City Beach on Sunday. An unnamed 21-year-old from Alabama was shot in the foot near a local Waffle House restaurant around 4:30 p.m. (left). Javonte Sanders, 22, of Cropwell, Alabama (right), allegedly fired the shot that injured the victim. He is being held on gun-related charges and the shooting is still under investigation
During Monday’s news conference, Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford announced that of 161 people arrested Saturday and Sunday, 80 were from Alabama.
Panama City Police Chief Mark Smith argued that the criminals responsible for the weekend mayhem were not traditional spring breakers but “true criminals.”
“Every time one of our brave officers confronted these 75 people, it was an opportunity for that brave officer to lose his life or to have been forced to take someone else’s life,” Smith said. “That’s not what Bay County is about, not what Panama City Beach is about.”
He added: “That’s not what we want in our city. We want the spring breakers. We want the tourists, but we don’t want that criminal element.”
Echoing Smith’s remarks, Ford said, “We faced dangerous circumstances but stood firm to protect our county.”
“Each of those 75 firearms … represents a violent law enforcement encounter, and I am so proud of the law enforcement officers who stood in that gap between citizens and the criminals who carried those guns.”
Police recovered 26 shell casings from three different guns at the scene – a 9mm caliber, a .40 caliber and a .45 caliber. Authorities did not specify which gun was allegedly fired by Sanders
Local businesses also reported vandalism. A Walmart store in Panama City Beach is pictured in disarray
Goods, including hats and sunscreen, were ripped from the shelves and strewn across the floor. Talamantez confirmed Monday that Walmart was one of a number of businesses to close early over the weekend
Police also described incidents of violence against officials and local businesses.
Video from a Walmart area, obtained by WMBB, shows the store aisles in complete disarray. Goods, including hats and sunscreen, were ripped from the shelves and strewn across the floor.
Talamantez confirmed Monday that Walmart was one of a number of businesses to close early over the weekend.
Massive crowds flooded the city streets, making it difficult for residents and visitors to navigate the area.
“We got run over by people,” visitor Ladariya Gurley told WFLA. “They pushed us.”
One officer suffered a lacerated head and received medical treatment after a member of the crowd threw a beer bottle at him.
“These are the kind of people we deal with. Beer bottles were thrown at police officers. Shoot right down the street,’ Smith said. “When these shootings took place there were blue lights up and down the street.
He added: “The blatant disregard for public safety that these individuals have will not be tolerated.”
A police car is stationed on South Beach in Miami, Florida, Sunday amid the spring break chaos
Two spring breakers seemingly dressed for nightlife celebrations walk the streets of South Beach in Miami on Sunday
A group of spring breakers are pictured in Miami Beach after the mayor imposed a city curfew over shootings
Police officers patrol Miami Beach after the mayor imposed a curfew amid a spate of spring breaks and shootings
Spring Breakers are pictured outside the Waldorf Towers Hotel in Miami on Sunday