ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 spoke with one of the victims who said she was shot in downtown Orlando Sunday morning after a gunman fired into a crowd, injuring seven near Orange Avenue and Wall Street.
The woman, who only wants to go by Jaimy, said that she and her friends were like many people forced to run for safety when, according to officers, the shooter began firing around 2:22 a.m. following a large fight that broke out.
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Jaimy and her friends were out celebrating her 23rd birthday in downtown Orlando when she said she was shot in her left calf.
“Suddenly we heard shots rang out, right next to us,” Jaimy said. “I felt really weak. I ran into Wall Street to try and escape the gunfire.”
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She said two of her friends are also among the seven people who Orlando police said were hurt. Police said the victims are expected to recover as the search for the shooter continues.
“I think it’s ridiculous that you can’t just got out and celebrate your birthday with your friends without fearing that you might get shot at the end of the night,” Jaimy said. “Something needs to change. Something has to happen because it’s ridiculous now. I don’t ever want to go out again.”
She’s calling for more safety measures downtown.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said he’s working to remove the fears people who frequent downtown have.
He said as early as Friday, and no later than the following weekend, people going downtown will have to go through controlled checkpoints in certain places on Friday and Saturday nights to try and curb the violence in the area.
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“That really breaks my heart. I want everyone to think of our downtown as a place that anybody can come,” Dyer said.
Jaimy also has a few words for the person who pulled the trigger.
“It is unacceptable to just shoot at people as if they’re animals, as if we’re not conscious beings with families and lives,” Jaimy said.
Right now, as she recovers, she’s counting her blessings.
“I’m really grateful that we’re all alive, but it really easily could have not turned out that way,” she said.
The Orlando Police Department urges anyone with information, photos or videos relating to the shooting to come forward and submit their tips at the link below.
We continue urging our community members who were in the area of Wall St & Orange Ave at approx. 2 am on 7/31 to come forward w/ information about this incident.
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) August 1, 2022
Follow the link👇to submit any photos/videos you may have that can help our investigators.https://t.co/sdT9VW31Ci
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