Two arrested in Hollywood Beach shooting that left 9 wounded on Memorial Day
UPDATE: Two arrested in Hollywood Beach shooting. Businesses say security a growing concern
911 CALLS: ‘It’s time to go:’ Frantic 911 calls reveal chaos during Hollywood Beach mass shooting
Nine people, including four children, were shot Monday evening after police said a dispute between two groups escalated to gunfire on the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk — prompting thousands of Memorial Day beach-goers to hysterically scatter and duck for cover.
Two 18-year-old men were arrested Monday night a few blocks away from the crime scene on the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk near Johnson Street and are facing gun charges in connection to the shooting. Investigators also recovered five guns of which two were stolen from Miami-Dade County and Texas respectively, Hollywood police said Tuesday morning in a news release.
Morgan Deslouches of Hollywood is facing charges of grand theft of a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon and removing or altering the serial number from a gun after police say they found a black Smith & Wesson inside a bag hanging from his left shoulder. Keshawn Paul Stewart of Dania Beach was arrested on a charge of carrying a concealed firearm after officers said they spotted a fully loaded semi-automatic 9mm handgun inside a backpack he was carrying. Stewart, who pleaded not guilty in court on Wednesday, remained behind bars at Broward County’s Main Jail while Deslouches has since been released on a $20,000 bail, records show.
Police are also asking for the public’s help to identify three people who they believe are involved in the shooting. Video surveillance puts them near the crime scene at the time of the incident, according to detectives, and the security footage was provided to the media.
Detectives didn’t give descriptions of these individuals nor did they immediately say how these people are involved in the shooting.
Police are yet to determine who shot the nine people injured.
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What happened?
Around 6:45 p.m. Monday authorities received a call about shots fired near Johnson Street, located west of the Hollywood Beach Theater, Deanna Bettineschi, a spokeswoman with the Hollywood Police Department, told reporters in a news conference Monday night.
The city’s web cameras captured the chaos that ensued: People running away from the gun shots, a woman trying to cover a kid with her body and others carrying babies and toddlers to safety.
Authorities took the victims to Memorial Regional Hospital and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood. The children’s ages range from 1 to 17 years; the adults’ ages range from 25 to 65, Bettineschi told reporters Monday night.
Four children remain hospitalized in stable condition as of Wednesday, according to the Memorial Healthcare System.
One of the victims is 16-month-old Amari, who is recovering after being shot in the foot. His father told NBC6 that Amari is doing well but his foot will never be the same.
Amari’s aunt started a GoFundMe that has raised close to $3,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.
Jamie Ward, a Hollywood Beach resident, detailed arriving at the bandshell area about five minutes after the gunfire erupted. He saw a man sitting down with a tourniquet on his leg, another man being whisked away on a gurney into an ambulance and a woman who had been shot lying on the sand.
“These innocent people were hit,” he said Monday night near the crime scene.
What are authorities saying?
“I’m saddened and angered,” said Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy during the late night press conference. “People come to enjoy a holiday weekend on the beach with their families and to have people ... have an altercation with guns in a public setting with thousands of people around them is beyond reckless.”
Police Chief Chris O’Brien called it a “senseless act of gun violence.” He also thanked the first responders and good samaritans who helped the victims and asserted the officers will track down the “criminals.”
“We will leave no stone unturned,” he said. “These that were involved in the incident today will he held accountable for their actions.”
Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to contact the Hollywood Police Department at 954-764-4357(HELP) or 954-967-4567. Tipsters can e-mail or text any video or photos they may have to hollywoodpdtips@hollywoodfl.org. Information can also be given anonymously to Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477(TIPS) or browardcrimestoppers.org.
The FBI is also asking for the public’s help in identifying the people involved in the shooting. Videos and photos can be submitted online at fbi.gov/hollywoodbeachmemorialdayshooting. Tipsters may also call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Miami Herald staff writer Grethel Aguila contributed to this report
This story was originally published May 29, 2023 at 8:33 PM.
