An early morning shooting outside a bar near downtown Fort Lauderdale left a man hospitalized in critical condition Thursday.
Officers arrived at the scene near the 100 block of Southwest 3rd Avenue just before 5 a.m. after reports of shots being fired in the area, Fort Lauderdale Police officials said.
Once they arrived, officers found a male victim with a gunshot wound and transported him to an area hospital. Police have not released his identity but say he is in critical but stable condition.
Detectives remained at the scene and have not determined if the victim was the intended target during the shooting.
Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.
"There’s been other gun shots around here down the street, so it’s not that surprisingly that we would have some kind of accident," said John Alvarez, who works in one of the bars on the street where the shooting occurred. "It is spring break."
Those who live nearby or walk through the area say things have gotten worse.
"All these bars are open until 5 in the morning...and it’s a mess around here," said David McCormick, who was walking the area Thursday with his wife, Amy. "It’s really gotten bad."
Local
Anyone with information is asked to call Fort Lauderdale Police or Broward CrimeStoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
