What was supposed to be a mellow family birthday party in Sunrise turned chaotic early Sunday when gunfire erupted outside a banquet hall, leaving one person hurt and another in handcuffs as stunned guests waited for police to finish combing the parking lot.
The celebration was being held in a storefront-style event space tucked into a shopping plaza on West Oakland Park Boulevard, where dozens of partygoers suddenly found themselves stuck inside as the scene turned into an overnight crime investigation.
What police say
According to Local 10, Sunrise Police said the shooting happened around 1:30 a.m. outside Five Stars Banquet Hall at 6072 W Oakland Park Boulevard. Officers arrested a suspect at the scene, and detectives later cleared the area so the shopping plaza could reopen, the station reported.
Guests describe the scene
Eril Jerome, who was at the hall celebrating his father-in-law’s birthday, told Local 10 that “they heard about four shots fired” while roughly 150 guests were inside the venue. Jerome said several people could not immediately leave because their cars were inside the taped-off crime scene, and guests had to wait until officers gave the all-clear before heading home.
The venue
Five Stars Banquet Hall lists its address as 6072 W Oakland Park Blvd and promotes event packages, catering and DJ services. Florida Department of State business records list FIVE STARS BANQUET HALL LLC at 6042–6072 W Oakland Park Blvd in Sunrise, confirming the location of the party.
Investigation ongoing
Police have not released the names of the wounded person or the individual taken into custody. Detectives with the Sunrise Police Department are still investigating and working to determine what led up to the shooting. Authorities asked anyone with information about the incident to contact Sunrise police.
