As victims gradually return home four days after the mass shooting on the busy Hollywood Broadwalk during Memorial Day Weekend, police have yet to arrest a shooter. But they plan to release an update on the investigation in the next 48 hours.
"We are really hopeful and looking forward to end of day today or tomorrow," said Officer Christian Lata, a spokesperson for Hollywood Police. He did not say whether police had made an arrest.
About 7 p.m. Monday, gunshots turned the packed beach from a scene of celebration into one of panic. Adults and children ran, hiding in stores or behind sheds, while others tried to treat the nine injured people as they waited for first responders to arrive. Meanwhile, whoever fired the shots disappeared into the chaos.
Detectives think the shooting broke out amid a dispute between two groups, said Deanna Bettineschi, a spokeswoman for the agency. So far, police have not shared details on what might have sparked the fight.
On Tuesday, Hollywood Police announced the arrests of two men on firearms charges, but not the shooting itself: Morgan Deslouches, 18, of Hollywood, and Keshawn Paul Stewart, 18, of Dania Beach. Detectives also recovered five handguns, two of them stolen, one from Texas and the other from Miami-Dade County.
The police department has released pictures of three people believed to be involved in the shooting, though they did not say how, seeking the public's help in identifying them.
Lata declined to say whether Deslouches and Stewart were cooperating with detectives about the shooting. He said that the police department has received "some tips," and getting people to talk has not been a challenge in the investigation, though the investigation has had its challenges.
"There's always challenges, that's why cases take a while to solve," he said. "If not, it would be like in the movies where we solve them in an hour."
Hollywood Police have received support from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, which asked the public for any pictures, videos, or tips that might help them identify the three men.
The police department has a relationship with the FBI where Hollywood officers work for the FBI in exchange for the FBI's resources. Certain investigations require those resources, such as when a crime is federal, and others do not, Lata said. This one did.
Of the nine people injured, five were adults ranging in age from 25 to 65 and four were minors between the ages of 1 and 17. They were taken to Memorial Regional Hospital and Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital. Seven have been treated and discharged. Two others, both minors, remain in the hospital in stable condition, the hospital said Thursday evening.
Lata did not say whether the police presence on the Broadwalk has increased since the shooting. The city has faced scrutiny over the past few days, as some residents complained that the Broadwalk did not have a sufficient police presence when the gunfire broke out.
Loriann Pineo, who moved to Hollywood 10 years ago, said that she felt the Broadwalk had become less safe over her time there. The shooting happened a block from her home.
"You could walk, whether it's dawn or middle of day, and pass constant police flow all day long on the beach," she said. "… I don't really understand what's going on, why laws aren't enforced and why the beach and Broadwalk do not have same police presence and enforcement that they once did."
On Wednesday, Pineo emailed Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy with her concerns.
"The decline in the police presence and enforcement of our laws and ordinances and safety of our once beautiful Broadwalk and beach is both disheartening and frightening," the email read. "There used to be constant and vigilant police patrols up and down the Broadwalk as well as the beach."
Pineo said she has not received a response.
Levy plans to discuss the shooting at a commission meeting on Wednesday.
Lata disagreed with claims about a lack of police presence, saying there was a "good amount of police on the beach" the day of the shooting. Officers responded within seconds, calling it in over the radio before the first 911 callers did, he added.
"They got on radio and said 'Hey, I hear shots being fired,'" Lata said. "The first calls on radio were from officers. They immediately flooded the area and started rendering aid to the victims."
The police department is "fortunate" to have good detectives and resources, he said.
"Hopefully, God-willing, we'll be able to find the suspects that did this stupid crime, because it really was a stupid act of violence," Lata said. "And fortunately no one died, but people did get injured and they'll get justice."
Anyone with information should call Hollywood police at 954-764-4357 or 954-967-4567. Tipsters can also send emails or texts to hollywoodpdtips@hollywoodfl.org.
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