Credit: Inside the MagicEveryone across Central Florida was shocked on Halloween night when 17-year-old Jaylen Dewayne Edgar opened fire at an event in Downtown Orlando. When the smoke cleared, two people were killed, and nine people were injured.
REST IN PEACE: 25-year-old Tyrek Hill was identified as one of two people killed when a gunman opened fire during a Halloween celebration in downtown Orlando. https://t.co/KE7szLYCXM pic.twitter.com/abL4d3xRTd
— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) November 2, 2024
The two people murdered at the event were Timothy Schmidt Jr., 19, and Tyrek Hill, 25. Schmidt was a University of Central Florida student, and Hill worked for a local towing company.
Orange-Osceola State Attorney Andrew Bain announced Monday that Edgar would be tried as an adult and was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. Bain did not give any details on how Edgar got the gun or why he suddenly opened fire on a crowd of people.
Every time one of these events happens, people often wonder about the randomness of these types of mass shootings and how safe they are in public. This is especially true for the millions of tourists visiting Central Florida annually to visit its theme parks.
19 year old Soccer player from the University of Central Florida was one of the victims from the shooting in Orlando 🥺
I feel so sad for his family 💔 pic.twitter.com/VjEonpQB7D— Audra White (@AudieZaBeast) November 2, 2024
Disney World Safety
Being inside the Walt Disney World bubble is incredibly safe. All of the Disney Parks and Disney Springs require guests to walk through a metal detector and have all bags searched.
However, Central Florida isn’t necessarily that safe compared to the rest of Florida. According to GunViolenceArchives.Org, Central Florida accounts for one-quarter of all mass shootings in the state over the past decade.
In 2023, Florida had 30 mass shooting events; 12 of those were in Central Florida. So far this year, there have been 27 mass shooting events; seven of them have been in Central Florida.
Part of the issue in Florida is the availability of guns and the state’s limited gun laws. On July 1, 2023, Florida’s permitless carry law was enacted.
This law allows Florida residents and non-residents to carry a concealed firearm in public without a permit, background check, or safety training. During his press conference today, Bain expressed his opposition to Florida’s permitless carry law, and he also encouraged community members to speak out when someone they know is planning a mass shooting.
Bain said:
I don’t know if the outcome would be different if somebody had reported that the defendant had a gun and if that report actually made it to law enforcement. But if they did have that report to them, there’s always the chance this mass shooting could have been prevented.
Nationwide Trends
There is no national database that tracks mass shooting events, and there is no standardized definition as to what constitutes a mass shooting event. Under most definitions, a shooting is considered a mass shooting if four or more people are shot in one event.
According to FBI data, violent crime is down across the country, and mass shootings are no different. From 2020 to 2023, there were more than 600 mass shootings annually. However, this year, there have only been 445 with two months remaining.
Tonight, our officers received a critical briefing as they prepare for heightened patrols in Downtown Orlando.
In light of the recent tragic shooting, the Orlando Police Department is committed to ensuring the safety of our community.
We want to encourage everyone to remain… pic.twitter.com/hCFDzRXDx6
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) November 2, 2024
However, mass shootings in Florida are on par with what they have been over the past decade. The state has averaged 30 annually over the last decade and has 27 this year.
The only thing that guests in Central Florida can do is be aware of their surroundings and, if they see something, report it to the police.