TITUSVILLE, Fla. — An armed bystander stopped a gunman who opened fire at a public park in Florida during a back-to-school event Saturday.
According to a press release from the City of Titusville, things began when a man at the event got into a fist fight with another person at the crowded park.
That man left and returned several minutes later with a gun and opened fire, the city stated. Fox News reports a back-to-school cookout was being held at the time, and footage from the scene shows the crowd panicking as the sounds of gunshots are audible.
City officials say that’s when a bystander stepped in.
“The gunman was then shot by a bystander, who was lawfully licensed to carry a firearm,” the release states.
The initial gunman was taken to a local hospital with “life-threatening injuries.” Police say they recovered that man’s weapon at the scene.
Authorities say the bystander who shot the suspect waited at the scene for police and has been fully cooperative.
No injuries beyond those to the initial shooter were reported.
“We are extremely grateful that nobody else was injured in this incident” said Deputy Chief Todd Hutchinson. “This suspect opened fire at a crowded public park, this could have been so much worse.”
The city states that while the case remains under investigation, police and State Attorneys do not anticipate charges against the bystander “as his actions were within the law based on the preliminary investigation.”
