According to the authorities, one man was killed and another one was severely wounded Saturday night in South Florida after a pickup truck drove into the spectators at the opening of a Pride march.
Nikki Fried, Commissioner of Florida Agriculture, along with Ted Deutch and Debbie Wasserman verified the occurrence on Twitter and said that the driver had been apprehended.
Fried said in his tweet that he is fortunate to be alive and that they are grieving for the affected people and the respective families.
As per Associated Press, one victim was hospitalized while the other died from his injuries.
The Police department was requested to make a comment on the incident by USA Today which was not immediately returned. The driver’s purpose was not immediately clear.
Chris Caputo, a Wilton Manors municipal commissioner, tweeted that it was “increasingly likely” that the tragedy occurred. However, Dean Trantalis, the mayor of Fort Lauderdale, told WSVN-TV that the motorist intentionally drove into the gathering, characterizing the event as an assault on the LGBTQ community.
He also said that there is no one specific way to celebrate the pride month, in-person or virtual.
In a conversation with USA today, Joey Spears, 25, told that he witnessed the truck plough through the throng as he approached the parade’s start.
He said that he saw the vehicle pulling out and ploughing into the crowd all of a sudden.
Spears filmed the aftermath and caught footage of a victim on the ground. Spears said that he and his companions were surrounded by police for almost an hour in a nearby high school parking lot before being permitted to go. They began marching at that point.
Spears stated that they went through the parade unofficially because they weren’t going to let anything stop us from expressing our pride.
Wasserman Schultz was seen in tears in photos and video from the event, riding in a convertible during the procession. The congresswoman’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to many local news sources, the patients were transported to Broward Health Medical Center. Attempts to reach the center for comment were met with silence.
The Police Department stated in a tweet that there was no threat to the public.
Mayor Scott Newton said in a statement that a terrible tragedy happened today during the Stonewall festival and in the interest of everyone concerned, the march has been cancelled and an extensive inquiry is underway.
Deutch said on Twitter that he was devastated by the atrocities seen at Wilton Manors Pride. He also apologized to the public.
Sen. Shervin of Florida wrote on Twitter that he was heartbroken and in disbelief at the events at Wilton Manors Pride.
He wrote that he is praying for everyone there and sending love to many friends.
According to the event’s website, the Wilton Manors Pride festival occurs yearly in June. Within an hour after the incident, the event’s Facebook page uploaded a video of numerous attendees marching down the street.
In Broward County, Wilton Manors is a city. According to the US Census Bureau, it has a population of approximately 13,000 people.
