A mass shooting that took place on Halloween night resulted in the deaths of two individuals. On Friday, the first of several phases of reopening Orange Avenue to traffic during the weekend nightlife hours began. This occurred just two weeks after the shooting tragedy.
At approximately one in the morning on November 1, Jaylen Edgar, who is 17 years old, is accused of opening fire amid the costumed revelers in the downtown area, resulting in the deaths of two individuals.
Seven individuals were hurt as a result of gunshots, and another individual was hurt when they were crushed by the mob that was leaving the scene.
At the beginning of this month, city officials stated that the atmosphere of street parties in the downtown area has resulted in ongoing concerns regarding public safety, and that the city is looking into every possible safety step in order to protect the community.
It was stated by the city that the relocation would minimize the number of huge crowds that would congregate in the middle of the street.
According to Sam Benjamin, a resident of Orlando, “I do not have a problem with that, like having cars on the street and stuff that is going to kill the vibe.” “More cops and more lighting,” Benjamin said.
In order to accomplish this, barricades will be used to keep pedestrians closer to the sidewalks. Additionally, one lane of traffic will be opened on Orange Avenue, which will force people to use the sidewalks. According to the city, this is something that has not been done in the past 25 years.
“I mean, when they close off all of these streets, people would walk in the streets, and it would be less crowded,” said Caleb Villavicencio, who was present in the area at the time of the shooting. “It would be less crowded.”
If they were to open up the streets, I get the impression that these sidewalks would be a great deal more congested, and I also have the impression that there would be a great deal more possibility for fighting.
At some point in the future, all three lanes of Orange Avenue will be reopened; but, according to a spokeswoman for the city, there is not yet a predetermined schedule for this.
“It makes you pause and reflect and obviously focus on how we can ensure that we can still welcome people into our downtown and know that they can have a safe experience,” said David Barilla, Executive director for Orlando’s downtown development board and community redevelopment agency.
“It makes you realize that we can still welcome people into our downtown and know that they can have those experiences.”