Shooting at teen nightclub party in Florida leaves 2 dead, 17 wounded

Fort Myers, Fl. — Gunfire broke out in front of a Florida nightclub hosting a swim party for teenagers early Monday, leaving two dead and at least a dozen wounded.

Club Blu Bar and Grill was hosting an all-ages party Sunday night that they hoped would be a safe environment for teens. But gunfire broke out as parents were picking up their children, in the parking lot around 12:30 a.m, according to a Facebook Post from Club Blu. Shawn Achilles, 14 and Ste’fan Strawder, were identified as the victims, Fort Myers police said. 

Lee Memorial Hospital received 16 patients ranging in age from 12 to 27; some were suffering life-threatening injuries, according to CNN.

"While we are still learning the details about what happened this morning, we know that some of the victims of this terrible incident were children," Florida Gov. Rick Scott said in a statement. "We will continue to pray for the victims and their families."

Three people were taken into custody in connection to the shooting. Authorities continued to search for any suspects that may have been on the loose, according to CNN. The shooting is not believed to be terror-related. 

It is unclear how many bullets were fired or what weapon was used, but CNN reported seeing at least 36 yellow evidence markers signifying a bullet casing.

Less than a month ago, Florida suffered another mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando. The Pulse shooting was the deadliest shooting American history, leaving 49 people dead and another 53 wounded.