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Information has finally been released on a gunfire incident that took place at a Universal Studios Orlando Resort this past Saturday. Hotel guests were forced to evacuate and flee for their lives as SWAT troopers came to stop and detain a suspect. The culprit was suspected of being involved in the shooting of two Orlando Police officers less than 24 hours beforehand.
Law enforcement from the Orlando Police Department, along with SWAT surrounded the Holiday Inn & Suites on Caravan Court, just outside Universal Studios Orlando. They were notified of a man inside the Universal partnered hotel whose vehicle matched the description to a homicide in Miami, Florida. The male suspect was then identified by the investigating police officers, who then connected the potential suspect as a person of interest in the killing of two police officers in downtown Orlando on Friday.
A guest interviewed by local news station divulged that they heard a loud band, then the fire alarm went off. Many initially thought it was a false alarm. Another hotel resident expressed that they received an announcement over the intercom that a fire had been reported in the building. Management advised for guests to leave the hotel via the stairs.
Another Holiday Inn guests, Jennifer Berry, reported witnessing a massive police presence in the lobby while being urged to evacuate the hotel across the street. She and other guests heard gunshots soon afterwards. Berry articulated that the fear of being hit by a bullet compelled her to run (not walk) across the road.
According to Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith, the gunfire came from the suspect, Dalton Viel, who barricaded himself in his hotel room and refused to come out peacefully. He elaborated that Viel shot at SWAT Officers multiple times, so they returned fire, striking down the suspect. Viel was pronounced dead at the scene. The Police Chief finalized that the community is safe and that his team did what they needed to do against an aggressive suspect with a storied criminal history.
Once police cleared the area, guests were reportedly permitted to return to the hotel just before noon. However, many that chose to hold-up in the main conference room were held until crime scene detectives concluded their protocols in the aftermath of Viel’s death. Thankfully, no guests were hurt during the bullet-spraying stand-off as many of them resumed the rest of their vacation.