Lakeland shooting victims now up to 11 people: What we know
Lakeland Police are continuing their search for four suspects involved in a drive-by shooting that injured 11 people Monday afternoon.
The shooting took place at 3:43 p.m. near Iowa Avenue and Plum Street, an area Lakeland Police Chief Sammy Taylor described as a "challenged" neighborhood the Police Department has paid a lot of attention to in recent years.
Lakeland shooting:Ten people shot in 'targeted attack' in midtown Lakeland, a little north of downtown
Tuesday update:Number of shooting victims rises to 11 as Lakeland police say they found the suspects' car
How many people were shot?
When police arrived on the scene, they found three victims. Witnesses said another seven had been rushed to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center in private cars. In a press conference Tuesday, Taylor said another man with minor injuries showed up at Lakeland Regional as a walk-in, bringing the total number of people shot to 11.
All were adult males between the ages of 20 and 35.
As of Monday night, two were in critical condition. One was shot in the abdomen and another in the jaw area. Taylor said one underwent surgery Monday night and the other was flown to Tampa General Hospital for treatment.
The other nine suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to Taylor, and are expected to be released from the hospital today.
What is known about the suspects involved in the Lakeland shooting?
The suspects, who appeared to be wearing masks or face coverings, were riding in a dark blue, four-door Nissan sedan with dark, tinted windows. The car had a paper temporary tag. Taylor said there were at least four people in the vehicle, with at least two firing out the windows.
The car was located in a West Lakeland neighborhood Tuesday morning, Taylor said, and police "have a high level of confidence" that it's the car used in the attack.
School bus dropped off children moments before shooting
Taylor said a Ring doorbell captured not only the shooting, but a school bus dropping off children a minute before gunfire broke out.
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Lakeland gunfire was 'targeted event'
"We have reason to believe this was a targeted event, that it was not a random act," Taylor said.
Taylor said LPD does not think there's reason for the public to be worried for their safety. And he said rumors that there was a second shooting scene were "incorrect."
What is known about the guns used in the shooting?
Taylor said police were still trying to determine how many rounds were fired, but they had identified at least two types of rounds, a .223 rifle round and a 9 mm handgun round.
Has anyone been arrested for the Lakeland shooting?
“We do have suspects," Taylor said. "We have people we’re very interested in. We don’t have our hands on them.”
"We have reason to believe this was a targeted event, that it was not a random act," Taylor said Monday. "We did locate a quantity of marijuana at the scene, which would indicate that, obviously, there were some narcotics sales or sales of marijuana going on there at the time. Whether that's significant or related to this, that's unknown right now.”
How unusual was this shooting for Lakeland?
"I've been here 34 years and I can tell you I have never worked an event where this many people were shot at one time, ever," Taylor said.
$5,000 reward offered for information leading to arrest
A $5,000 reward has been offered in partnership with Heartland Crime Stoppers Florida for information that leads to the identification and arrest of the suspects involved in the shooting.
To remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward, there are four ways to contact Crime Stoppers :
Call 1-800-226-TIPS (8477)
From your cell phone, dial **TIPS
Visit www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and click on Submit A Tip.
Download the free app "P3tips" on your phone or tablet.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lakeland shooting victims now number 11, car found, police say
