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3 shot in downtown Melbourne shooting near nightclubs
Three people were hurt in a shooting that happened in downtown Melbourne early Saturday morning.
MELBOURNE, Fla. - Three people were injured during a shooting in downtown Melbourne Saturday, police said.
Around 1:23 a.m., Melbourne police officers said they responded to the 800 block of E New Haven in reference to a shooting near the downtown nightclubs. A fight broke out in the street which led to a shooting.
Officers who arrived at the scene didn't find any victims. A short time later, police was dispatched to a local hospital where three men with gunshot injuries arrived for medical treatment.
A car that dropped off one of the victims was stopped by police, but two of the men inside who weren't injured ran away and were later arrested.
"We were hanging out in Debauchery, it was [his] birthday, getting drinks," said witness Alexander Haggins. "A fight broke out. they came running outside, there was a big skirmish in the road, you know?"
Police said the extent to their involvement in the shooting is unclear. In a Facebook post, Melbourne's Mayor Paul Alfrey said he'd be speaking at the city council meeting on Tuesday to discuss the need for increased safety in the downtown area.
"Windows were broken out in several storefronts and several parked cars received damage from bullets, Alfrey said.
No details regarding the victims have been released.
This is an active investigation. Police ask anyone who has information or was a witness to the incident to call the Melbourne Police Department at 321-608-6731.