A late night at Le Palace nightclub on South Orange Blossom Trail turned into a burst of gunfire early Wednesday when a man opened fire outside the venue, and an on-duty security guard shot back, authorities said. Three people were left with life-threatening injuries after the exchange, which erupted just after 1:30 a.m. Deputies said a second person who fled the scene was tracked down and detained a short time later as investigators locked down the area to collect evidence and speak with witnesses.
According to deputies, a man in his 40s opened fire on two men in their 20s in front of the club. The security guard on post saw the attack and returned fire, hitting the suspected gunman, the sheriff’s office told ClickOrlando. All three men, the alleged shooter and the two victims, were taken to area hospitals with life-threatening wounds, according to the station. Deputies said a companion who had been with the suspected shooter ran from the scene in a vehicle but was stopped near 37th Street and South Orange Blossom Trail and taken into custody.
Le Palace sits along a busy stretch of South Orange Blossom Trail, with its website listing the address as 5526 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL. That particular corridor has seen violence before, and in 2021, deputies investigated another shooting at Le Palace that left a security guard and other patrons wounded, WESH reported.
Investigation and Legal Context
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office described the case as an active investigation and said detectives are reviewing surveillance video and interviewing witnesses to piece together the exact sequence of events, according to ClickOrlando. Any assessment of the guard’s decision to fire will fall under Florida’s self-defense laws. Chapter 776 of the Florida Statutes outlines when deadly force can be used in self-defense and when a person may be immune from criminal prosecution, according to the state statute text.
How to Help Investigators
Sheriff’s officials are urging anyone who was in the area, or who has video of the shooting or what led up to it, to contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Tips can be submitted through the agency’s online reporting tools or by calling the OCSO non-emergency number, where residents can pass information directly to detectives through the main portal for e-reports.
Authorities have not released the names of the people involved and have not identified a motive. The sheriff’s office said it will share additional details as they are confirmed. We will continue to follow the investigation and relay significant updates as they become available to the public.
