A suspected shooter is dead after being shot by a deputy at a large block party in Sanford early Saturday, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office said.
At approximately 1:00 a.m., deputies responded to a noise disturbance in the 2200 block of Sipes Avenue in the Midway community of Sanford, the sheriff’s office said. Upon arrival, deputies encountered a large block party and began efforts to disperse the crowd.
During the incident, an armed individual began firing shots, the sheriff’s office said. A deputy, who was in close proximity to the armed individual, engaged and shot him.
A spokesperson said early information gathered by investigators indicates there were ultimately two shooters involved in the incident. The department characterized the scene as “an active and rapidly evolving situation involving gunfire in a large crowd.”
The sheriff’s office said the wounded shooter was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Two additional individuals sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident, the sheriff’s office said. No deputies were injured.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has been requested by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office to conduct an independent investigation into the incident, the sheriff’s office said. Such investigations are routine in officer-involved shootings.
There is no continuing threat to the community, the sheriff’s office said, and this is being investigated as an isolated incident.
The sheriff’s office said based on the information known at this time, the deputy’s actions “likely saved lives by immediately stopping an armed individual who was actively firing at a large gathering.”
It remains an active and ongoing investigation.