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Deadly shooting sparks panic at ZombiCon event in Fort Myers, Florida

Posted at 3:44 PM, Oct 18, 2015
and last updated 2015-10-18 15:56:39-04

FORT MYERS, Fla. (CNN) — Chaos broke out at a zombie-themed street festival in downtown Fort Myers, Florida, after a shooting left one man dead and four other people wounded.

Crowds of festivalgoers fled screaming through the streets after the shots rang out late Saturday at ZombiCon.

“It cleared out fast and cop cars and ambulances came,” said Savannah Holden, who watched the panic unfold from a hotel balcony.

One man died of a gunshot wound at the scene, police said, and four other people who suffered non-life-threatening injuries were taken to Lee Memorial Hospital for treatment.

The identities of the victims weren’t disclosed, and the circumstances of the shooting remained unclear.

Detectives have been canvassing the area for witnesses, authorities said, asking anyone with information on what happened to call the Fort Myers Police Department.

Organizers ‘deeply saddened’

The deadly shooting took place at ZombiCon, a festival that features bands and DJs performing on stage in the downtown area to people dressed in zombie costumes. It draws upward of 20,000 attendees, police said.

Festivalgoers could enter the event through six different points in exchange for a $5 donation to Pushing Daizies, the local artists’ charity that organizes it.

The organizers said they were “deeply saddened by the news of what happened within the footprint of our event.”

“We take the safety of our patrons very seriously and take precautions in hiring security and police officers for our annual event,” they said in a post on the event’s Facebook page. “Our prayers go out to the family members and individuals involved in the incident.”