Video shows panicked Spring Break crowds fleeing beach hotspot after reports of five weekend shootings
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A popular spring break hot spot was rattled by violence after five separate shootings sent visitors to a Florida beach destination running for cover, with one ending in a police officer being hospitalized for gunshot wounds.
The shootings happened over the weekend in Daytona Beach, according to WFTV 9.
A video shot from the balcony at the Ocean Walk Resort shows hordes of beachgoers scrambling across the sand and into the road as police attempt to calm the chaos.
“Twerking, dancing, stopping traffic, cussing people, flipping people off, stopping everyone, screaming. It was insane. Stopping traffic, you couldn’t move, you couldn’t go forward, back, nothing,” Kissy Derito told WFTV 9.
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People enjoy warm temperatures during spring break at Daytona Beach on March 27, 2023. (Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The cause of the panic was not immediately made clear, with the Volusia Sheriff’s Office reportedly saying there were no shootings on the beach over the weekend.
On Friday, one shot was fired after a fight broke out at the Joint Bar in Seabreeze, located just off the beach strip, according to the Daytona Beach Police Department. No one was hurt in the shooting.
Just one hour later, one person was reportedly shot outside a nearby Crunch Fitness.
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On Saturday, police were called to the scene of two separate beachside shootings, according to WFTV 9.
One of the shootings reportedly happened outside the popular Crusin’ Cafe, which is located a mere two blocks from the crowded beach.
“There was a poor [man] that’s never been to Florida in the elevator last night and he was like this is our first time ever in Florida, he was like should we pack up and leave?” Derito told WFTV 9.
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A severely damaged South Daytona Police SUV sits on the side of I-95 north by the Daytona Beach Racing and Card Club around 11:30 a.m. March 15, 2026, after a fleeing suspect crashed and opened fire on police, officials said. An officer was struck and transported to the hospital. (Nadia Zomorodian/News-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
On Sunday, South Daytona Beach Police Officer Jake Fessenden was hospitalized after responding to reports of a fifth shooting near Country Lane, the Port Orange Police Department said in a social media post.
The suspect allegedly fled in his vehicle as authorities responded to reports of shots being fired in the area, authorities said.
Officers from multiple agencies attempted to apprehend the suspect as he crashed his vehicle while going northbound on I-95 and began firing on deputies, striking Fessenden.
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The Volusia Sheriff’s Crime Scene Unit responds to I-95 north by the Daytona Beach Racing and Card Club around 11:30 a.m. on March 15, 2026, after a fleeing suspect crashed and opened fire on police, officials said. An officer was struck and transported to the hospital. (Nadia Zomorodian/News-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Another officer struck the suspect, later identified as 31-year-old Todd Anthony Martin, according to WFTV.
Both Fessenden and Martin were transported to a local hospital, where Fessenden underwent surgery and is expected to survive. Martin, however, remains in critical condition.
“The big important news is that he’s in stable condition and he’s in good spirits.” DBPD Deputy Chief Tim Morgan told ClickOrlando.
“God was on his side today. You know, he’s hit twice. Two critical areas, but we’re being told he’s in stable condition and he’s going to be fine.”
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All of the victims in the weekend shootings are reportedly expected to survive.
Police are still investigating if any of the shootings were related to spring break.
The Daytona Beach Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
