Gunman at back-to-school giveaway shooting remains hospitalized, investigation ongoing

J.D. Gallop | Florida Today

Show Caption Hide Caption Shooting at back to school giveaway: Vendor with concealed carry shot gunman JD Gallop gives an update on the shooting, which was caught on video, at back to school giveaway in Titusville & how Stand Your Ground may play a role

The gunman shot and wounded by a bystander after firing off multiple gunshots at a "Peace in the City" back-to-school rally in Titusville, remains hospitalized, authorities reported Monday.

The man, believed to be in his early 20s, was shot in the head after authorities said he ran toward the crowd and was confronted by a vendor at the Saturday event. Titusville police have not released his name or any information about him.

Records show a quick police response along with the panic that ensued following the shooting, which happened about 5:21 p.m. Saturday at Campbell Park.

There were about 150 people, mostly school children, in the park at the time.

“Heard rapid fire, people are running,” one officer told dispatchers at 5:21 p.m., according to police records.

Another officer noted that ‘we have an individual on the ground in the parking lot.'

There was a report of a woman yelling that ‘someone is dead.' A short time later, about 5:57 p.m., after officers secured the area, police spotted a .357-caliber handgun in the seat of a car and a 9mm handgun from one of the shooters.

It was not immediately clear if the .357 weapon was used in the shooting or to which of the men the 9mm belongs.

Officers notified nearby hospitals to alert security officials to be on the lookout for potential shooting victims turning up in emergency rooms for treatment.

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Shots fired near kids in bounce house at back to school giveaway in Titusville WARNING: Graphic video by DJ Dwight Harvey shows shots being fired at a back to school event in Titusville, where 150 people, including kids, attended

A video surfaced on Facebook with the gunman having a cloth or towel wrapped about his head as paramedics loaded him into a waiting ambulance. The video also shows an unknown caliber handgun lying nearby on the pavement. It was not immediately known if police were reviewing the same video.

Titusville police have not named the bystander who they said was lawfully armed with a concealed weapon.

The shooting – and its frantic aftermath – was captured on a live-streamed Facebook video taken by the event DJ, Dwight Harvey.

"Everybody just scattered," Harvey recalled of the moment the gunshots rattled off in the distance.

Children screamed, parents scrambled as more shots were heard. Police quickly cordoned off the park and assisted with crowd control.

An investigation into the shooting is ongoing. There were no other reports of injuries at the event. The wounded man was transported to Holmes Regional Medial Center in Melbourne. No charges have been filed.

Contact Gallop at 321-242-3642

or jdgallop@floridatoday.com.

Twitter: @JDGallop

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