Six people were shot, two of them critically wounded, when gunfire erupted at a family gathering on Poplar Avenue in Sanford, according to police. Officers responding to the scene near Poplar Avenue and Ninth Street found multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds after 911 received a call reporting a shooting with injuries.
The call came in overnight, and as reported by the Orlando Sentinel, suspects began shooting into the crowd gathered for the family event. No arrests have been made. Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith said investigators are working to understand what caused the violent act, and he asked the community to stand together and provide additional information to help identify those responsible.
Officers Arrived Within Minutes, Briefing Set Near Scene
Officers Arrived Within Minutes, Briefing Set Near Scene Sanford Police Public Information Officer Nicole Brown discussed the gathering and the number of shooters, according to WFTV. The department scheduled a press briefing at Coastline Park, located about a block from the shooting scene on West 9th Street.
Investigators believe the shooting was an isolated incident with no broader threat to the community. Whether one shooter or several opened fire into the crowd remains unclear.
A Pattern of Violence at Sanford Gatherings
A Pattern of Violence at Sanford Gatherings This is not the first time an outdoor gathering in the Sanford area has turned deadly this year. Just three months earlier, on June 20, a Seminole County deputy fatally shot an armed suspect who had opened fire into a crowd at a block party on Sipes Avenue in Midway, a Sanford community, as Hoodline previously reported. And earlier in June, Sanford Police investigated two separate late-night shootings minutes apart near Historic Goldsboro Boulevard, leaving one man dead and another seriously injured.
The Sanford Police Department is led by Chief Cecil Smith.
Investigation Continues
Investigators continue working to identify those responsible.
Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact the Sanford Police Department or Central Florida Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477). Crimeline calls remain anonymous.
As the investigation continues, police have not said whether any suspects have been identified, and the motive behind the gunfire remains unknown.
