A suspected shooter is dead after being shot by a deputy at a large block party in Sanford early Saturday, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office said.
Read more Asking Eric: I took a DNA test to debunk my sister’s gossip. It turns out she was right.
At approximately 1:00 a.m., deputies responded to a noise disturbance in the 2200 block of Sipes Avenue in the Midway community of Sanford, the sheriff’s office said. Upon arrival, deputies encountered a large block party and began efforts to disperse the crowd.
The sheriff’s office said early information gathered by investigators indicates there were two shooters involved in the incident. One of the deputies on-scene found himself in the middle of an active and rapidly evolving situation involving gunfire in a large crowd.
During the incident, one of the armed individuals began firing shots, the sheriff’s office said. A deputy, who was in close proximity to the armed individual, engaged and struck him.
The sheriff’s office said the individual was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Read more Miss Manners: I was hurt by the old girlfriend’s post on my husband’s memorial page
Two additional individuals sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident, the sheriff’s office said. No deputies were injured.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has been requested by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office to conduct an independent investigation into the deputy-involved shooting, the sheriff’s office said.
There is no continuing threat to the community, the sheriff’s office said, and this is being investigated as an isolated incident.
The sheriff’s office said based on the information known at this time, the deputy’s actions likely saved lives by immediately stopping an armed individual who was actively firing at a large gathering.
Read more President Donald Trump unveils the new Air Force One, a converted Qatari jet
This remains an active and ongoing investigation.