DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. – Gunfire startled neighbors in Deerfield Beach on Wednesday night after deputies shot and killed a woman who was seen waving around a gun.
At least one deputy was also injured and taken to the hospital.
“I was sitting in my living room and I heard shots fired,” said neighbor Melinda Bruck. “At first I didn’t know what it was, but it was definitely gunshots.”
The shooting occurred in a busy part of Deerfield Beach, along North Ocean Drive near the popular fishing pier.
“I walked out and I see this entire road is closed off and I was kind of concerned,” said witness Lucas Rosa.
A worker at a nearby restaurant sharing a photo of first responders kneeling over a person on the ground.
“There were people running and going down that way, it was just chaos,” said Rosa.
It all happened around 9:30 p.m. when investigators say three Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene for a woman who was reportedly seen with a gun inside a nearby business.
“The first element was this woman had a gun inside of a restaurant, and she was asked to vacate,” said Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony.
At some point, Tony said that woman walked outside and displayed the weapon, prompting several 911 calls.
Moments later, gunfire erupted.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene by rescue crews.
Officials said one of the responding deputies was also injured and taken to a nearby hospital, though the extent of their injuries was not disclosed.
What led up to the deadly shots, and whether the woman opened fire, remains unclear.
“In terms of weapons presentation, did she fire a round? Did she point at them? We’ll have to look at every single aspect from the camera system that are in the restaurants, our body worn cameras and any type of other witness statements or evidence that can, you know, help solidify the facts behind the case,” said Tony.
The scene was blocked for hours overnight, with investigators later towing away a dark-colored car.
Witnesses, meanwhile, were left with many questions.
“It doesn’t ever happen around here,” said Bruck.
Added Rosa: “I was kind of shocked because I’ve never seen something like this happen on Deerfield.”