ORLANDO, Fla. — The deadly Downtown shooting that killed two people and injured eight Friday morning has raised questions about safety for the remainder of Halloween weekend.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer cited the safety of the city being his No. 1 priority during a press conference Friday, which is why he issued a curfew and a ban on alcoholic beverage sales after midnight for the next seven days.
Starting on Friday evening, a curfew was put in effect for the downtown entertainment district between 1-5 a.m.
In addition to the mayor’s local state of emergency, bars and clubs in that same area will have to stop serving alcohol at midnight for the following week.
Some people gearing up for their Friday night activities in downtown were on higher alert than usual, but they said they wouldn’t let what happened stop them from living their lives.
Adam Brunson was working the bar at Casey’s on East Central Boulevard when the shooting happened, leaving two people dead and eight others injured amid Halloween celebrations early Friday morning.
“All of a sudden, people started running,” Brunson said.
He said events like this make him feel frustrated since it will take a while before people can feel safe again in downtown.
"It’s so hard to provide a peaceful, great atmosphere of people, and it takes one bad apple to ruin it for everybody," Brunson said.
When it comes to safety, Brunson said it’s a matter employees take seriously.
Despite the shooting, he said he believes additional safety measures at Casey’s aren’t necessary.
“OPD (the Orlando Police Department) had a great response," Brunson said. "I feel comfortably safe here at my job every day when I come to work."
Just a couple streets down on North Orange Avenue, one couple was gearing up for a concert at the Beacham Club Friday afternoon.
Although they’re not letting the shooting impede on their plans, they said they hope to see more safety measures adopted in Downtown Orlando.
“They could keep ears out for conversations that can be stopped when they see someone in uniform if that makes sense,” said Orlando resident Javier Quinones, agreeing with his partner who suggested a heavier undercover police presence.
Ellie Rosado, who attended the concert with Quinones, said she’d like to see “more police action just kind of patrolling the areas and making sure everyone is safe, maybe try to do some metal detectors here and there.”
Dyer told reporters during a press conference Friday that safety is his No. 1 priority, and that he will take whatever steps are necessary to keep the city safe.
On Friday morning, Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said officers are working hard to ease safety concerns in downtown.
Smith also promised he will look into what other resources can be added in the next couple days to help people feel safer.
“Law enforcement is always changing," he said. "We are working with the city, working with the clubs downtown, to figure out if there’s something else we can go to to sort of keep it secure down there."