A 19-year-old man was killed and six others were injured in a shooting overnight after hundreds of teens filled downtown Pensacola, Florida, for the Fourth of July, police said.
Police described a “teen takeover” that began with children as young as middle schoolers holding fireworks and escalated into an increasingly dangerous situation, as older teens and young adults filled the streets Saturday night and into Sunday morning.
Officers responded when shots were fired shortly after 1 a.m. and began providing medical care to the injured victims on the ground.
Despite efforts to save the 19-year-old with CPR, he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.
Pensacola Police Chief Eric Winstrom said he met with the victim’s grieving mother, adding: “she deserves justice, and she deserves answers, and we’re going to do everything we can to get those for her.”
