On Thursday morning, a police officer was shot in a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, hotel during what authorities suspect may have been a planned ambush. The incident unfolded when three officers responded to a call at around 7:39 a.m. from a Holiday Inn guest who claimed to have killed someone inside a hotel room, as reported by Police Chief Bill Schultz during a press conference.
Upon entering the room, the officers were met with gunfire from a suspect, resulting in one officer being shot and another sustaining minor injuries during the exchange of bullets. The injured officer was quickly transported to a hospital and is reported to be in stable condition.
Law enforcement was on high alert following the shooting, with 911 dispatch recordings capturing the chaotic aftermath as officers worked to secure the area and ensure the safety of bystanders. SWAT teams later discovered the gunman dead in the hotel room, confirming that no one else was present in the room at the time of the incident.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has taken over the investigation, and the officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, in line with standard procedure. The immediate vicinity of the hotel remains cordoned off, with a heavy police presence observed throughout the area.
Guests at the hotel were evacuated following the shooting, with one witness describing the initial commotion as starting on the pool deck above the parking garage. The incident occurred amid a busy spring break season in Fort Lauderdale, although authorities have not indicated any connection between the shooting and the influx of visitors to the area.
Before this incident, Fort Lauderdale police reported a relatively peaceful spring break period, with only 13 spring break-related arrests made from March 1 to 17. The city has been working to maintain public safety during the heightened tourist activity in the region.
