PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) — Police surrounded an apartment building in northern Florida and exchanged heavy gunfire with a suspect barricaded inside Tuesday, and at least one person was injured, officials said.
Nearby businesses and schools were evacuated and several police agencies responded to the incident in Panama City, where some witnesses reported hearing more than 50 shots.
Kim Allagood, owner of a nearby pizza restaurant, said “tons and tons” of police descended on the area and she locked down her restaurant for close to two hours amid sporadic shooting.
One civilian suffered minor injuries, and the incident was continuing, city spokeswoman Caitlyn Lawrence said mid-afternoon.
Police in nearby Walton County said on their official Twitter account that the incident was tied to a suspicious death in Santa Rosa Beach, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest along the Florida coast from Panama City. But they did not immediately release more details. Walton County police also were at the scene in Panama City.
Some initial media reports suggested the suspect was holed up in bank near the apartment building. However Jeremy King, a spokesman for Regions Bank, said the shooter was not in the bank and he had no information that the suspect was ever inside the bank.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott talked to Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford about the situation in Panama City. John Tupps, a spokesman for Scott, said the main point of the call was to offer state law enforcement assistance.
Film at 11:00.
Please explain why this local story is considered TPM Breaking News? Has TPM gone full on action news?
It sounds like a pretty hot firefight, like a combat situation, going on in an American city. Says something about who we are, I think. Just as devil’s advocate.
Shootout on the Redneck Riviera
I’m under the impression that gun violence like this (mass shootings, or potential mass shootings) is one of the beats that TPM has chosen to cover. That’s been the case ever since Sandy Hook, I believe, and since the shooting at Stoneman Douglas earlier this year, it’s an issue that has been prominent in the news everywhere.
Ritalin must not have kicked in…or abortion…or doors…yeah, that’s the ticket…doors.