Families scatter for cover as armed bystander stops gunman at back-to-school event

The bystander shot the gunman, who was later transported to a hospital in a critical condition.

An unidentified gunman opened fire during a recent back-to-school event at Isaac Campbell Park in Florida. The event was being attended by over 100 people including children when the perpetrator began shooting, as reported by Fox News.

In an official news release, the Titusville Police Department reported that the gunman initially got into a physical fight with someone at the park and stormed out at about 5:20 pm.

He then returned to the event with a gun and began shooting at the public. Soon, a bystander at the park intervened. As people began to run helter-skelter, he pulled out his licensed firearm and shot the gunman.

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Deputy Chief Todd Hutchinson expressed relief that nobody except the gunman was injured, and acknowledged that the situation could have gotten worse without the vigilant bystander’s attention.

The injured gunman was transported to a nearby hospital in a critical condition, and the weapon used at the shooting was also recovered by the police.

The event was organized by a DJ, who later revealed to Florida Today that he was under a pavilion when he heard a series of gunshots.

Another witness, Dwight Harvey, was sharing a live video of the event on social media before the shoot began. In the footage, the attendees can be seen socializing when the loud ringing of gunshots interrupted the scene.

Harvey shared that he initially mistook the sound of the gunshots to be firecrackers, but then turned around to find the armed gunman, as reported by WFTV.

The identities of neither the bystander nor the gunman have been revealed so far. The officers looking into the case have been working with the bystander to complete their investigation.

Based on the findings of the case, it has been reported that the bystander’s actions were within the legal framework and that he is not likely to be levied with any charges.