HALLOWEEN NIGHT IN DOWNTOWN ORLANDO, 2024. EVERYBODY WAS DANCING. EVERYBODY WAS HAVING A GOOD TIME. SHATTERED BY GUNSHOTS. SCREAMS. AND PEOPLE RUNNING FOR THEIR LIVES. GUNSHOT VICTIM. THE SEA OF PEOPLE JUST RUSHING AT EVERYONE. PEOPLE FALLING OVER. WHEN THE DUST SETTLED, TWO PEOPLE WERE DEAD. SEVEN MORE HURT AND HUNDREDS LEFT WITH EMOTIONAL SCARS. NOW, ONE YEAR LATER, THE CROWDS HAVE RETURNED. HALLOWEEN, IS TOP OF MIND. I FEEL LIKE NO ONE’S GOING TO. COME ON. NO BS BECAUSE IT’S HALLOWEEN. EVERYONE WANT TO HAVE FUN? TAKING A LIVE LOOK AT LAKE EOLA PARK IN DOWNTOWN ORLANDO TONIGHT, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE OUT CELEBRATING HALLOWEEN RIGHT NOW WITH POLICE ON ALERT AFTER LAST YEAR’S DEADLY MASS SHOOTING. LAST YEAR’S SHOOTING DID NOT KEEP THE CROWDS AWAY. TONIGHT, THOUGH, I’M JESSE PAGAN AND I’M MICHELLE IMPERATO. ORLANDO POLICE HAVE MADE A LOT OF CHANGES SINCE LAST YEAR’S SHOOTING, ALL MEANT TO KEEP YOU SAFE. WESH TWO GAIL PASCHALL-BROWN IS LIVE OUTSIDE OF ORLANDO CITY HALL TONIGHT. SO GAIL, HOW ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE FEELING TONIGHT? WELL, WE’VE SEEN QUITE THE CAST OF CHARACTERS WHO SEEM TO BE EXCITED ABOUT CELEBRATING HALLOWEEN AND THE ORLANDO CITY COMMISSION THAT REPRESENTS THIS AREA SAYS IT ADDED SECURITY MEASURES IN PLACE, PLUS, SHANNON ROSE SAYS THAT POLICE, ALONG WITH THE CITY, ALONG WITH THE BUSINESSES, HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE. YEP, IT’S HALLOWEEN AND IN DOWNTOWN ORLANDO, THAT MEANS THOUSANDS OF VISITORS TO THE CITY. BEAUTIFUL HALLOWEEN. BUT JUST HOW SAFE DO PARTYGOERS FEEL AFTER LAST YEAR’S MASS SHOOTING IN DOWNTOWN? AS FOLKS CELEBRATED HALLOWEEN NIGHT? I FEEL VERY SAFE. I FEEL LIKE NO ONE GOING TO COME ON, NO BS BECAUSE IT’S HALLOWEEN. EVERYONE WANT TO HAVE FUN. TIMOTHY SCHMIDT JUNIOR AND TYREEK HILL WERE KILLED IN THE SHOOTING. THE ACCUSED SHOOTER, JAYLEN EDGAR, HAS PLED NOT GUILTY TO MURDER AND ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES. THE VICTIMS FAMILIES FILED A LAWSUIT WEDNESDAY AGAINST THE CITY OF ORLANDO, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND DOWNTOWN POWER LLC. I WOULD AVOID DOWNTOWN. CLEARLY, THEY HAVEN’T FIGURED OUT HOW TO MAINTAIN A TIGHT SECURITY PRESENCE. THE WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT CLAIMS THE CITY AND DOWNTOWN POWER, WHICH THE LAWSUIT SAYS FILED FOR THE PERMIT FOR THE EVENT, WERE NEGLIGENT IN HOW THEY HANDLED SECURITY. LIKE LAST TIME, WE WAS ALMOST WE WAS LIKE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. WE WAS ALMOST SMACKED DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF IT, BUT WE GOT AWAY. WE ARE LOOKING AT A COUPLE OF SPECIAL OPERATIONS TONIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE REMAINS SAFE. ORLANDO CITY COMMISSIONER SHANNON ROSE, WHO REPRESENTS THE AREA, SAYS SAFETY IS A TOP PRIORITY. THAT INCLUDES ROAD CLOSURES FOR TRAFFIC AND CROWD CONTROL. WE WILL HAVE EXTRA OFFICERS AND THEN THERE’LL BE OFFICERS YOU CAN’T SEE. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WATCH COMMANDERS, WE HAVE CAMERAS ON EVERY BLOCK IN DOWNTOWN, SO WE HAVE EXTRA OFFICERS WHO WILL BE MONITORING THE MONITORS. AS FOR THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES. SO THE BARS ARE ALL WILL ALL BE WANDING. THEY WILL ALL BE ID SCANNING TO MAKE SURE THAT NO GUNS GET IN. AND EVERYONE IS LEGAL TO BE INSIDE OF THEIR ESTABLISHMENT. IT’S KIND OF A COUPLE OF OPERATIONS THAT THEY DO CURRENTLY THAT FOR SAFETY REASONS, WE DON’T DISCUSS THEM PUBLICLY, BUT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS SAFE. THIS WEEKEND. NOW, SHANNON ROSE SAYS TONIGHT, BEING THAT IT’S HALLOWEEN AND ON A FRIDAY YOU COULD SEE AS MANY AS 100,000 PEOPLE IN DOWNTOWN ORLANDO COVERING ORANGE COUNTY LIVE IN ORLAND
Downtown Orlando increases Halloween security after last year’s fatal shooting
Updated: 11:00 PM EDT Oct 31, 2025
Thousands are celebrating Halloween in downtown Orlando, where police are on high alert after last year’s deadly mass shooting.Orlando City Commissioner Shan Rose, who represents the area, said there are added safety measures in place tonight, with the city and police department working alongside downtown businesses to ensure public safety. Despite the festive atmosphere, the memory of last year’s mass shooting during Halloween night lingers.Adrian Mattel expressed confidence in the safety measures, saying, “I feel very safe. I feel like no one ain’t going to come on no BS, it’s Halloween, everyone is going to have fun.”The shooting claimed the lives of Timothy Schmidt Jr. and Tyrek Hill.The accused shooter, Jalen Edgar, has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder charges.On Wednesday, the victims’ families filed a lawsuit against the city of Orlando, the Police Department, and Downtown Power LLC.Tim Schmidt, father of Timothy Schmidt Jr., said, “I would avoid downtown. Clearly, they haven’t figured out how to maintain a tight security presence.”The wrongful death lawsuit alleges negligence in security management by the city and Downtown Power, which reportedly filed for the event permit.Adrian Mattel said, “Like last time we were in the middle of it. We were almost smack dab in the middle of it. Right there, but we got away.”Shan Rose, District 5 Orlando City Commissioner, emphasized the focus on safety, stating, “We are looking at a couple of special operations tonight to make sure that everyone remains safe.”Rose detailed the safety measures, including road closures for traffic and crowd control, extra officers, watch commanders, and cameras on every block.”We will have extra officers and then they’ll be officers you can’t see. We have watch commanders. We have cameras every block down, so we have extra officers who will be monitoring the monitors,” Rose said.Downtown businesses are also taking precautions.”So, the bars will all be wanding, they will all be ID-scanning to make sure no guns get in and everyone is legal to be inside of the establishment,” Rose said.When asked about outdoor safety, Rose said, “So we’re just going to keep a close eye, and there’s a lot of cameras downtown. There’s a couple of operations that they do currently, for safety reasons, we don’t discuss it publicly, but we are doing everything we can to make sure people are safe this weekend.”
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Thousands are celebrating Halloween in downtown Orlando, where police are on high alert after last year’s deadly mass shooting.
Orlando City Commissioner Shan Rose, who represents the area, said there are added safety measures in place tonight, with the city and police department working alongside downtown businesses to ensure public safety.
Despite the festive atmosphere, the memory of last year’s mass shooting during Halloween night lingers.
Adrian Mattel expressed confidence in the safety measures, saying, “I feel very safe. I feel like no one ain’t going to come on no BS, it’s Halloween, everyone is going to have fun.”
The shooting claimed the lives of Timothy Schmidt Jr. and Tyrek Hill.
The accused shooter, Jalen Edgar, has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder charges.
On Wednesday, the victims’ families filed a lawsuit against the city of Orlando, the Police Department, and Downtown Power LLC.
Tim Schmidt, father of Timothy Schmidt Jr., said, “I would avoid downtown. Clearly, they haven’t figured out how to maintain a tight security presence.”
The wrongful death lawsuit alleges negligence in security management by the city and Downtown Power, which reportedly filed for the event permit.
Adrian Mattel said, “Like last time we were in the middle of it. We were almost smack dab in the middle of it. Right there, but we got away.”
Shan Rose, District 5 Orlando City Commissioner, emphasized the focus on safety, stating, “We are looking at a couple of special operations tonight to make sure that everyone remains safe.”
Rose detailed the safety measures, including road closures for traffic and crowd control, extra officers, watch commanders, and cameras on every block.
“We will have extra officers and then they’ll be officers you can’t see. We have watch commanders. We have cameras every block down, so we have extra officers who will be monitoring the monitors,” Rose said.
Downtown businesses are also taking precautions.
“So, the bars will all be wanding, they will all be ID-scanning to make sure no guns get in and everyone is legal to be inside of the establishment,” Rose said.
When asked about outdoor safety, Rose said, “So we’re just going to keep a close eye, and there’s a lot of cameras downtown. There’s a couple of operations that they do currently, for safety reasons, we don’t discuss it publicly, but we are doing everything we can to make sure people are safe this weekend.”