2 dead, 18 injured amid Halloween festivities in Tampa

At least two people are dead and 18 others were injured after a shooting broke out as hundreds of Halloween revelers left celebrations in Tampa, Florida early Sunday morning.

Two groups began fighting at about 3 a.m. as bars and clubs in the Ybor City neighborhood began closing for the night, sending hundreds of Halloween partygoers into the street, Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said.

“Between these two groups, we had hundreds of innocent people involved that were in the way,” Bercaw said, according to WFLA.

The shooting killed two people and sent 18 others to the hospital.

Bercaw did not share the extent of the injuries, and it was unclear if all the injured people were hit by gunfire or hurt in the ensuing panic.

Videos of the horrifying incident show people in costumes drinking and talking in the street when shots rang out, sending the crowd into a panic.

Roughly a dozen shots rang out followed a few seconds later by a volley of about eight shots.

Videos of the aftermath showed officers helping costumed victims as they bled on the sidewalk, while others quickly ran away from the scene.

Police officers were already at the scene when the shooting began, and no personnel were hurt, Bercaw said.

“We’re asking anybody that was out there that has video — and we know there are some out there cause we’ve seen them on social media — anybody that has video of this, to please report it to us,” Bercaw said. “Call our non-emergency line at 813-231-6130.”

At least one person involved in the shooting surrendered into police custody, Bercaw said, adding that at least one other gunman was at large.

“We need to hold those [responsible] accountable,” he said.

It’s unclear whether the people involved in the fight had been inside any of the bars or clubs in the neighborhood before the shooting.

With Post wires