Gunfire erupted in an area of Miami Beach teeming with partygoers enjoying booze-filled nights over spring break, killing one person, wounding another and evacuating dozens to safety.
Two men were shot dead Friday night and one person was arrested at the scene, the Miami Beach Police Department tweeted.
It was not clear if the person being held was the shooter. Police also said four weapons were seized.
The shooting occurred on South Beach’s Ocean Drive, which is closed to vehicular traffic on its busiest stretch.
Gunfire erupted in an area of Miami Beach crammed with partygoers enjoying booze-filled nights over spring break. One person was killed and another wounded, allowing dozens to escape
Several blocks were cordoned off with yellow caution tape as police took into custody one person in connection with the incident – it remains unclear if she was the shooter
One of the victims died in a hospital, the second person was in critical condition. Their identities have yet to be released.
Footage of the incident showed people taking cover and running away from several shots being fired. Several blocks were cordoned off with yellow caution tape.
Police have yet to comment on why the shooting happened and is the second in many years during spring break in South Beach.
Last year, the city also imposed a midnight curfew on Ocean Drive after two shootings — the same was not imposed after this week’s shootings.
The year before, there were about 1,000 arrests and dozens of guns seized during a rowdy spring break, prompting Miami Beach officials to take steps to calm the situation.
It comes after Henry Meacock of Westfield, New Jersey, who was studying finance at Ohio State University, died during spring break.
His sister confirmed the heartbreaking death – days after another student suffered a brain hemorrhage while relaxing with friends in Mexico.
It remains unclear where Meacock died or how, but his sister Ellie paid an emotional tribute to their sibling.
“My little brother I can’t believe it,” she wrote on Instagram.
“Words cannot describe how much I miss you. It hurts to breathe without you
College students party at Clayton’s Beach Bar and Grill in South Padre Island, Texas
St. Patrick’s Day Spring Breaker Enjoy the beach bars and beaches. Many chose to wear the Irish Green on the beach in Fort Lauderdale
A man was seen drinking liquor straight from a bottle in South Padre Island, Texas
The alcohol-filled weekends are also often marred by alcohol-related incidents, which are kept under control by a heavy police presence
Women in bikinis often pose on the seafront as they prepare for more days of partying
“You are a very special soul who will live on forever. The most handsome boy inside and out. Nobody will ever have a smile like yours.”
She praised his spirit, adding: “I admire you in every way.
‘The joy you brought to those around you will never be forgotten.’
And she said she’s grateful for their sibling bond.
“I’m so incredibly grateful for the amazing relationship we had. There’s no one else I’d rather confide in. I love you forever and ever my best friend.”
Just days before Meacock’s death, Liza Burke suffered a brain hemorrhage.
She recovered in hospital after being found unconscious in her bed in Mexico.
The condition was genetic, but it’s unclear if anything in particular made it worse.
Burke was enjoying her “final spring break” with a large group of friends in Cabo San Lucas when she was struck down by a brain hemorrhage on March 10.
Burke went to bed after breakfast complaining of a headache. Her friends checked her a few hours later and called an ambulance when they couldn’t wake her.
A member of the Navy patrols Gaviota Azul beach in Cancun, Mexico, at the start of spring break
The water is closed for swimming due to dangerous currents, but that didn’t stop students from Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, and Iowa from descending on Panama City’s beach
A member of the Mexican Navy patrols the tourist area of Cancun, Quintana Roo state, Mexico
Young tourists, mostly from the United States, pose for photos with Mexican Navy officers in Cancun, Quintana Roo state, Mexico
US students on spring break, known as “spring-breakers,” have flocked to the Mexican Caribbean despite warnings from Washington not to travel to the southern neighbor amid a spate of attacks on US citizens
The young student was taken to the hospital, where Burke was diagnosed with an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), Fox News reported.
She was taken to a hospital and given life support. A GoFundMe page set up to help Burke raise $130,000, using the money she was flown to Jacksonville, Florida, where her mother Lauren McKeithen lives, for further treatment.
Burke reportedly showed “promising signs” after undergoing surgery in Mexico, with McKeithen saying her daughter was able to squeeze her hand.
She told Channel2: “We’re told to take things one day at a time and not get our hopes up too high, but have a lot of hope.
According to the Mayo Clinic, AVM is a “tangle of blood vessels that irregularly connects arteries and veins, disrupting blood flow and oxygen circulation.”
Scientists aren’t sure what causes the condition, but said it’s not usually hereditary.
People are born with this condition, although it is more likely to cause bleeding in the brain later in life. Men tend to be affected more often than women.
Jennifer Ritter, who organized a GoFundMe fundraiser for Burke, said her friend was born with the condition, but they only discovered it after she became seriously ill.
Burke was one of a dwindling number of spring breakers venturing into Mexico this year after a recent spate of chilling crimes sparked safety fears.
Henry Meacock, an Ohio State student from New Jersey, died suddenly during spring breaks, his sister confirmed
Ellie Meacock praised his spirit and smile, adding, “It hurts to breathe without you.”
Henry Meacock is seen with his sister Ellie, mother Colleen and father Will
Earlier this month, three North Carolina men and a woman were kidnapped at gunpoint while they were on a booked trip to allow the woman to have a tummy tuck.
Two of the men were brutally murdered in the Gulf Cartel kidnapping, while the third man and woman survived the harrowing ordeal.
The members responsible for the kidnapping were turned over to authorities by cartel bosses and now six are being charged in connection with the incident.
Horrific tales of drug overdoses, death, gunshots and kidnappings haven’t stopped American college students from soaking up the sun in more temperate spots while hundreds of thousands flock to the shores for spring break.
With COVID restrictions lifted, tourism experts were hoping for a peak season, a prophecy that appeared to be coming true as images of booze-heavy evenings and crowded beaches continued to emerge.
More than 200 people have been arrested in Panama City so far, police chief JR Talamantez said.
“Spring break this year went as we expected for the first few weeks of March,” he told WJHG.
“We’ve had a few people here and there who wanted to test the limits and our ability to enforce the spring break — and right now, while they’re in Bay County Jail, they’re realizing we can handle the business.”
He said the vast majority of the students were well behaved, but some had drunk too much and were charged.
“What we’re seeing now is crime related to drunken behavior caused by college students,” he said.
‘Unfortunately go home with a criminal record.’
He said the arrests were made for drinking on the beach, DUI and possession of narcotics.
Liza Burke, pictured right, suffered a severe brain hemorrhage during a Spring Break trip to Mexico
The University of Georgia student has since been diagnosed with a condition called arteriovenous malformation and has been flown home to Florida for further treatment.
So far, about 50 summonses have been written for drinking on the sandy beach, which is illegal in March.
The regulation was created to control the spring break chaos.
“We issued many more warnings than subpoenas,” Talamantez said.
“And we can only enjoy that if everyone abides by the law and maintains a very family-friendly destination.”