Florida‘s Miami Beach declared a state of emergency Monday after two shootings in as many days injured five people during the peak of spring break when flocks of young people travel south to party and enjoy the warmer weather.
City manager Alina Hudak announced a mandatory curfew from midnight until 6 a.m. beginning Thursday that is expected to last until Monday. However, she will need permission from the city commission during an emergency meeting Tuesday in order to extend the curfew.
“It is my hope that our city commission will authorize me to impose the same [curfew] for the following weekend,” Hudak said in a joint press conference with Mayor Dan Gelber.
SPRING BREAK SHOOTING IN MIAMI BEACH LEAVES THREE WOUNDED
Police said three people were injured in a shooting just after midnight Sunday, and two others were injured in an attack Monday. All five are expected to survive, according to the Associated Press. Both shootings occurred on Ocean Drive.
Two suspects were arrested in connection to the Monday shooting. One suspect claimed someone else had fired at him first, according to the arrest affidavit, and the other said he pulled out his gun after he saw someone else with a gun, according to local news outlet WSVN. One person has been arrested in Sunday’s shooting.
In a sign that pandemic-related fears are subsiding, crowds of people have resumed making the journey to the city for spring break, which already led to the city deploying a large number of officers — more than 370 over the weekend, according to Gelber.
Four officers were injured over the weekend, the Miami Beach Fraternal Order of Police said in a tweet. The cause of the injuries wasn’t clear, but the police union did share an urgent plea to city leaders. “Officers are EXHAUSTED. The party needs to end. City officials must take immediate and firm action to ensure the safety of officers and residents,” the tweet added.
This weekend, we’ve had 4 @MiamiBeachPD officers injured. This video is a snippet of the crowds and dangers we face. Officers are EXHAUSTED. The party needs to end. City officials must take immediate and firm action to ensure the safety of officers and residents. #SpringBreak pic.twitter.com/ZpL0rk2Ch9
— Miami Beach FOP (@MiamiBeachFOP) March 20, 2022
City officials said they recognize Miami Beach is being overwhelmed.
“We can’t endure this anymore. We just simply can’t,” Gelber said. “This isn’t your father or your mother’s spring break. This is something wholly different.”
Gelber added that the police have seized more than 100 guns in the past four weeks.
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The declaration Monday marks the second time the city has imposed a curfew in the past two years. Last year, the city implemented an 8 p.m. curfew due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 1,000 people were arrested after violating the curfew last year.
