A 14-year-old boy and a rising high school basketball star have been murdered and at least 16 more have been wounded in a mass shooting outside a Florida nightclub.

The gunman opened fire in the parking lot hitting children as young as 12 outside Club Blu Bar and Grill, in Fort Myer during a teen disco night shortly after 12.30am.

The two people who were killed are 18-year-old Stef'an Strawder, who attended the party, and 14-year-old Sean Archilles, who was standing on a street corner near the club when the gunman started shooting.

Sean's father, Jean Robert Archilles was photographed outside the nightclub on Monday morning while he was being told by a Fort Myers victims advocate that his son had been killed.

Police arrested the suspected gunman and two other people at different locations but continue to search for other suspects.

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Sean Archilles (left), 14, and 18-year-old Stef'an Strawder (right) were killed when a gunman opened fire outside Club Blu Bar and Grill, in Fort Myers in Florida

14-year-old Sean Archilles' father, Jean Robert, breaks down as he speaks about his son's murder near Club Blu in Fort Myers on Monday

Jean Robert Archilles said 'I don't know what a 14-year-old can do to someone,' after learning of the death of his son Sean (pictured)

A gunman opened fire in a parking lot of a Florida nightclub, hitting children as young as 12. Pictured is the scene of the shooting

People attend a prayer vigil outside the club where a 14-year-old boy and a rising high school basketball star were murdered

A man wipes his eyes during a prayer vigil outside Club Blu Bar and Grill, where two youngsters were killed

People hold hands during the vigil held after a gunman opened fire in the parking lot, hitting children

Mr Archilles was leaning forward and had his head resting on his arm, and appeared to be holding back tears as he heard the news.

'I don't know what a 14-year-old can do to someone,' he told News Press, before adding that some of Sean's friends were also shot.

Emma Decimus, Sean's aunt, said witnesses told her that her 14-year-old nephew was one of those who had been murdered.

'They saw him on the ground,' Decimus said.

Another relative, Adline Azemard, said she was told by family member of the news, News Press reports.

'My cousin called and said Sean is dead,' Azemard said. 'They should have had security.'

Family members said Strawder died after he was shot in the stomach, according to NBC2.

Just hours earlier he had posted on social media, asking friends if they were going to the nightclub.

'I'm Thinking About Going To This Party Who All Going?' the 18-year-old basketball star at Lehigh Senior High School wrote.

Strawder posted on social media just hours before the shooting, asking friends if they were going to the nightclub

Stef'an Strawder was a skilled basketball player and hoped to play in college once he finished high school

Family members confirmed Stef'an Strawder, a star basketball player at Lehigh Senior High School, was killed in the shooting

Heartbroken: Sade Strawder paid tribute to her brother Stef'an who she described as a 'good kid' with a 'bright future'

Loved ones openly weep and embrace after the fatal shooting in Fort Myers, Florida

Social media has been flooded with tributes to Strawder from family and friends since news of his death spread, many describing how talented he was on the basketball court.

Sade Strawder shared an emotional message on Facebook after her brother died: 'When you're trying to be strong but really deep down inside you're breaking down. I thought I experienced one of the hardest situations when I lost my baby father but losing a sibling is worse. Thats my baby brother, He was a good kid and had a bright future. I love you Dee.'

Strawder's mother, Stephanie White, said his 19-year-old sister, Sharrelle, was shot in the leg while at the nightclub, according to News Press.

At least three people are in custody after the shooting, Fort Myers Police Department Capt. Jim Mulligan said, according to WINK News.

Fort Myers mayor Randy Henderson told a council meeting the weapons used in the shooting had been recovered.

Large patches of blood are seen in the parking lot where an 18-year-old and a 14-year-old were murdered on Monday morning

Bullet holes are seen near the front door of Club Blu Bar and Grill, in Fort Myers, Florida, where a shooting took place

Abandoned cars with their windows shot out and bullet holes were still in the parking lot of the nightclub on Monday morning

A car hit by gunfire is removed outside of Club Blu where two people were killed during a shooting on Monday

Club Blu Bar and Grill is seen on Monday morning hours after the fatal shooting took place shortly after midnight

The shooting comes just six weeks after 49 people were murdered and 53 wounded while partying in Orlando, when a gunman opened fire inside Pulse - a local gay nightclub - on June 12.

The previous attack, carried out by Omar Mateen, was the worst gun massacre in U.S. history.

It sparked fresh debate on gun control, with President Barack Obama saying at the time: 'We flood communities with so many guns that it is easier for a teenager to buy a Glock than get his hands on a computer or even a book.'

A bullet is seen on the ground outside the Club Blu Bar and Grill, in Fort Myers, Florida, where at least two people were killed in a shooting

An investigator walks near the scene of a fatal shooting at Club Blu nightclub in Fort Myers

The shooting happened outside the Florida nightclub that was hosting a 'Swimsuit Glow Party'

Police said that officers responded to the parking lot of Club Blu at around 12:30 a.m. to find multiple people suffering gunshot wounds ranging from minor to life-threatening

Club Blu posted a statement on Facebook, saying it is 'deeply sorry for all involved'. 'We tried to give the teens what we thought was a safe place to have a good time,' the statement read

In this most recent shooting, officials say three people remain hospitalized after the shooting.

A spokeswoman for Lee Memorial Health System said two victims are still in intensive care, while one is in a fair condition.

Dr Andrew Mikulaschek earlier told a press conference that the hospital operates a massive transfusion protocol, whereby doctors will use massive amounts of blood to save someone's life.

'This can work well in some case but it also depletes our stock,' he said.

Sgarlata appealed for blood donations for the hospital and directed potential donors to the hospital's website for more details.

A video posted on Facebook showed one of the victims on the ground after they had been shot

A police vehicle blocks off the area near Club Blu after a fatal shooting in Fort Myers, Florida, on Monday, July 25

The victims are aged between 12 and 27 according to hospital sources.

Fort Myers interim police chief Dennis Eads said in a press conference on Monday afternoon the shooting was in no way linked to terrorism.

'This was not an act of terror. This was not a terrorist act. You can put that out of your mind,' Eads said.

The interim chief would not answer questions about who the shooters were targeting.

During the same press conference, Governor Rick Scott said: 'The first thing we have to do is thank law enforcement.'

'If it wasn’t for them we would’ve had more tragedy,' Governor Scott said.

He went on to add: 'Our heart goes out to everybody impacted by this. This is a time to mourn for these families, any family never wakes up expecting to lose loved ones'.

Witnesses described the scene at Monday's shooting as that of a 'mad house', with some saying how they were forced to take shelter under cars as bullets continued to fly around the parking lot.

The shooting happened outside the club that was hosting a 'Swimsuit Glow Party'.

Crime Scene Investigators wait outside the nightclub where two teenagers were shot and killed on Monday

Officials investigate the scene of a deadly shooting outside of the Club Blu nightclub in Fort Myers, Florida

Pictures taken at the crime scene showed police had put more than 100 evidence markers on the ground, however it is unsure if they were all to identify shell casings.

Authorities said the Fort Myers police and the Lee County Sheriff's Office were canvassing the area looking for other persons who may be involved in the incident.

Police said another person was wounded five blocks from the nightclub where the gunman opened fire on a house and a car before fleeing.

Timothy Settles broadcast on Facebook from his hospital bed and said he did not want to die after the shooting

Timothy Settles posted this message on social media after the shooting took place on Monday morning

The gunman was arrested at a third location. Police said the two locations were connected to the nightclub shooting.

Witnesses reported hearing at least 30 rounds being fired during the incident.

Timothy Settles wrote on Facebook that he did not want to die.

His aunt Kay Lyn Love wrote on Facebook: 'Hope u ok nephew i will be there to see u Asap.'

Police secured the scene last night and put evidence markers beside the bullet casings left by the killer

The gun man killed two people in a shooting outside Club Blu before shooting at a house and a car on Parkway Street. The 'person of interest was arrested a short distance away on Ortiz Avenue in Fort Myers, Florida

The victims were attending a Swimsuit Glo Party in Club Blu Bar and Grill in Fort Myers in Florida

The club released a statement on its Facebook page stating the incident happened at closing time when the young people were leaving.

According to the statement: 'We are deeply sorry for all involved. We tried to give the teens WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A SAFE PLACE TO HAVE A GOOD TIME.

'Ages 12-17. There was armed security as well as full security,inside and out. As the club was closing and parents were picking their children up.....that's when all this took place.

'There was nothing more we could of done az you see it was not kids at the party that did this despicable act.'

It is claimed that at least 30 rounds were fired by the killer before he fled the scene to another shooting

The gunman opened fire for a second time five blocks from the club shooting at a house and a car

Last week the club hosted a 'Girls go Wild' party dubbed the 'no panties edition'.

A nearby home on Parkway Street and vehicles were also shot at, resulting in one minor injury, police said in a statement.

A spokesman said: 'At this time the scene is still very active as investigators and crime scene personnel attempt to determine what had occurred.'

Three people have been arrested by Fort Worth Police Department including 'a person of interest'

President Obama has recently condemned the spate of gun murders in the United States and the failure of Congress to act on the issue.

Last month, Democrats staged an unprecedented 24-hour sit-in in Congress after Republicans refused to allow a vote on two widely supported measures.

Police do not yet have a motive for the fatal shooting.

'I can't believe we are alive. We had to pray': Witnesses tell how gunman opened fire outside packed nightclub

Witnesses described the scene at Monday's shooting as that of a 'mad house'.

Syreeta Gary's daughter survived the attack. Speaking on a Twitter video, she said: 'Well, I just thank God that my daughter is okay. She could have been shot. She was dodging bullets and dropping between cars.

'It is ridiculous that kids have to go through this and they cannot enjoy themselves because you have people with criminalistic minds who want to terrorize people.

'I'm just glad that she's okay.

One witness posted a short video of a car near the club which had been shot several times

'She was running away from bullets so she wouldn't get shot. Her friend got shot in the leg.

'They were running for safety.'

The father of one of the boy's who was injured in the shooting said his son was 'grazed' but made it home.

'I reacted like any father would,' Marshall Bland said about his son, Marshall Jnr, News Press reports.

'I'm just happy my family is spared, but at the same time my heart cries for the that family is a part of it.'

Other witnesses said they held loved ones close and hid under cars until the shooting stopped.

Speaking to ABC News, Tatianna Nouhaioi said: 'The kid I was holding in my lap, he was 14 years old that got shot.

A woman who escaped the shooting said she hid under her car as shots kept being fired at the nightclub

'And then there was a little girl who also got shot and she was 13. One of the security guard's daughters got shot, so I mean there was kids 13, 14, 15, 16. It was a young kids event.'

Juss Olivia broadcast on Facebook Live from outside the club, and said she was lucky to survive.

She said: 'All I know. I can't believe we are alive. There was a shooting. We had to pray.

'I was like "get down". They were not getting down fast enough for me.

'I wasn't even thinking about myself, I didn't want my sister to die.

'We was hiding under a car. I have never experienced something like that before.

'We were sitting in the car and five people were running. We got out of the car and hide under the car.

'I don't know who got shot because we was under the car.'