Orlando Halloween mass shooting victim released from hospital: 'Fortunate to be alive'

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Updated  November 7, 2024 11:35pm EST
FOX 35 Orlando
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Orlando Halloween mass shooting victim speaks

One of the victims injured in a mass shooting on Halloween in downtown Orlando is out of the hospital. Anthony Berry said he is happy to be home and back with his family after the traumatic experience.

ORLANDO, Fla. - One of the victims injured in a mass shooting on Halloween in downtown Orlando is out of the hospital. 

Anthony Berry said he is happy to be home and back with his family after the traumatic experience.

"I’m fortunate to be alive, I’m still praying for those families who also got affected; it changed their lives a lot," Berry said. "I’m grateful to still be here, grateful for the others who made it, and I’m sorry for the ones who can’t."

With his bullet wound covered by a headscarf, Berry is still recovering – physically and emotionally.

"It’s still like a daily reminder to keep going, pursue my goals," Berry said. "So, it’s not going to stop anything that I want to do in life."

An estimated 75,000 people were downtown when the alleged gunman, Jaylen Edgar, opened fire, according to the state attorney’s office.

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Orlando police said the shooting spree was caught on camera. At 1:07 a.m., a single shot was fired near the intersection of Orange Avenue and Central Boulevard. That’s where Tyrek Hill was pronounced dead. Four minutes later, at 1:11 a.m., additional shots rang out on Orange Avenue and Washington Street. Seven others were shot there, including Tim Schmidt Jr., who was later pronounced dead at Orlando Regional Medical Center.

The six other shooting victims survived but were also taken to the hospital – along with another victim who was trampled by the panicked crowd, said OPD.

Minutes after the shootings, Edgar was tackled and taken into custody. Detectives recovered nine bullet casings from the scene and a 9MM handgun.

Reports state Edgar told officers he found the gun earlier that day, and said he had been affected by numerous deaths of loved ones, and has had trouble due to the amount of stress he had been under.

Edgar, 17, is now being charged as an adult.

"You threw your life away, man," Berry said. "There’s no excuse for things like that."

Berry said he hopes for justice, but until then, he’s focused on his future. He is studying to be an EMT, and eventually wants to become a nurse. Berry said this experience has made that life goal of entering the medical field all the more important.

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