ORLANDO, Fla. – Authorities on Thursday identified one of two men fatally shot during an after-hours New Year’s party inside an Orange County club, however, the second victim remains unidentified.
The double fatal shooting happened at 4:35 a.m. at The Spot Events on Edgewater Drive near Lee Road.
Joseph J. Broady, 39, of Orlando, was taken to a hospital, where he died, officials said. The other man was pronounced dead at the scene.
A day after the deadly shooting, Orange County Sheriff’s Office investigators are asking witnesses to come forward to help detectives learn more about what happened leading up to and after the gunfire. Tipsters can also remain anonymous by calling Crimeline at 800-423-8477 (TIPS) and still receive up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest.
Orange County sheriff’s deputies said the men were in a VIP area of the club, which was about to close, when they were shot.
It’s not known what prompted the shooting or who opened fire.
About 250 people were in the club and several of them witnessed the shooting.
“I saw a group of guys walk toward the entrance where we came in from. They stopped, they turned around and they were facing the back and two guys were passing behind us as they were about to leave and they got shot,” witness Mona Roberts said.
According to deputies, there were as many as seven security guards, three or four of whom were armed, at the club, but they only patrol outside. Patrons were not checked as they entered the club, sheriff’s officials said.
There’s no surveillance video of the shooting, officials said.
Orange County sheriff’s Sgt. Jamie Hoffman described the business as an after-hours club.
“They work under a county ordinance with a catering permit,” Hoffman said. “We haven’t had any major issues here before, but it’s a situation we deal with countywide.”
An investigation is ongoing.
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