Miami Beach declares a state of emergency and a curfew from midnight TONIGHT
Miami Beach declared a state of emergency and instituted a curfew starting at midnight tonight after revelers returned to the scene of a fatal shooting to continue the partying.
The city announced the crackdown Sunday morning that will ban revelers from being outdoors between 11:59 p.m. Sunday and 6:00 a.m. Monday morning due to shootings and “excessively large and unruly crowds.”
A similar curfew will be imposed starting Thursday and through the weekend, until Monday, March 27, but that will be discussed further during a commission meeting on Monday.
It will be in place for an area of Miami Beach stretching from 23rd Street and Dade Boulevard to the north, Government Cut to the south, Biscayne Bay to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
There was no curfew Saturday night following the deadly shooting, which occurred on Ocean Drive on Friday.
Officials initially said the shooting was an isolated incident during what had until then been a peaceful week of celebration in the city’s social district.
An arrest was made after rounds of gunfire on South Beach’s main street Friday night, which at the time was packed with Spring Breakers and closed to traffic due to St. Patrick’s Day.
Several blocks were cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape while police detained one person in connection with the incident; it is unclear if he was the shooter.
Gunshots erupted in an area of Miami Beach packed with partygoers enjoying booze-filled nights on spring break. One person was killed and another was injured, sending dozens to seek safety.
One man was killed and another wounded as dozens scattered and ran for cover.
The injured man, who was initially in critical condition, has reportedly already been released from the hospital.
Four weapons were recovered from the scene, and the suspect was reportedly “fully cooperating.” It was not clear if the suspect has been charged in the deadly shooting.
On Sunday, the Miami Beach Police Department tweeted: “The identities of all parties cannot be released while the investigation is ongoing.”
“Miami Beach Police Department staffing continues to be enhanced and supplemented with assistance from neighboring law enforcement agencies.”
But just one day after a deadly shooting interrupted Spring Break festivities in Miami Beach, revelers returned to the scene of the crime to continue the party on Ocean Drive.
One reveler, Ronny, 22, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, told the Miami Herald that she had been only feet away from gunshots that erupted on Seventh Street and Ocean Drive.
“No one is trying to dodge bullets on vacation,” she said as she returned to the scene of the crime to continue to rage.
“I’m always having fun anyway, but everybody’s got to chill with that gunshot stuff,” he said, adding that some of his peers are “out here trying to recreate ‘Scarface.'”
Peter Sint, a 23-year-old from Miami-Dade, was somewhat concerned about the possibility of more violence.
Let’s play by ear and see how drunk [the crowd gets]’, he told the outlet.
There are a lot of people here, and I’m just thinking that something is going to happen at some point.
Party On: Spring Breakers continued their revelry even after the deadly encounter on Friday night
Miami Beach officials issued a state of emergency and curfew beginning Sunday night
The curfew was issued on Sunday morning, after there was no curfew on Saturday.
Crowds have been rioting for days as some students stage their own boxing matches on South Beach.
A stylish approach: A girl poses in a beautiful oversized hat for a photo in front of the Miami Beach sign on her spring break adventure
A couple of Spring Breakers pose in Miami Beach, Florida
More than 100 spring breakers gathered on the nearby beach where the shooting occurred a day later. Drink, dance and hang out to Afro Beats and Billboard hits.
Footage from the shooting Friday night showed people diving for cover and running from multiple gunshots. Several blocks were cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape.
The shooting is the second in as many years during spring break in South Beach.
Last year, the city imposed a midnight curfew following two shootings also on Ocean Drive; the same was not imposed after this week’s shooting.
The year before, there were about 1,000 arrests and dozens of weapons seized during a rowdy spring break that prompted Miami Beach officials to take steps aimed at calming the situation.