2 injured in shooting at Fort Lauderdale bar

Victims taken to Broward Health Medical Center

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale police are investigating an early morning shooting at a bar that left two people injured.

The shooting was reported just before 2 a.m. Wednesday at 111 SW Second Ave. at the Riverwalk’s Himmarshee Village.

Local 10 News photojournalist Lani Yasuk-Carrier was at the scene as at least one bullet casing was picked up by crime scene technicians outside Booze Garden.

She said she also spotted a bicycle on the ground, along with bloody towels.

Bloody towels lay on the ground outside Booze Garden in Fort Lauderdale. (WPLG)

Fort Lauderdale Police Detective Ali Adamson, who is also a spokeswoman for the police department, confirmed that one of the victims was shot in the doorway of the business and the other was shot while sitting inside the business.

Video posted online shows one of the men had been shot in the leg.

Adamson said both men were transported to Broward Health Medical Center and they are expected to be okay.

“Detectives are on scene actively working to gather information and details about what happened,” Adamson said in an email to Local 10 News.

Business owners in the area told Local 10 News that the shooter arrived on a bicycle, exchanged words with a bar security guard and then shot the guard in the leg near the bar entrance.

Witnesses say the bullet may have gone through the employee’s leg and also hit another man in the leg.

According to Adamson, the shooter fled the scene and has not been located.

One of the victims has since been identified as Kenneth Longo.

“At this time our client has been discharged from the hospital and is at home recovering from his gunshot wound,” attorney Mark A. Gaeta said in a statement to Local 10 News. “He is lucky to be alive. Unfortunately, instances like this are occurring far too often in our community, where innocent people are becoming the victims of violent attacks at private businesses.

“Our client is thankful to the officers and EMS personnel who responded to the scene, and trusts they are diligently working towards the shooter’s capture.”

Anyone with further information is asked to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.


About the Authors:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.

Saira Anwer joined the Local 10 News team in July 2018. Saira is two-time Emmy-nominated reporter and comes to South Florida from Madison, Wisconsin, where she was working as a reporter and anchor.