On Sunday evening at Poppy Park in Carver Shores, Orlando, three people were killed during an Easter egg hunt, and two more were critically injured in an act of violence that has become disturbingly common in our society.
16-year-old Tristan Morgan, 33-year-old Patriza Deterville, and 38-year-old Jamal Watson are the victims whose lives were brutally taken during the shooting. An adult victim is in critical condition, and another suffered a non-life-threatening injury.
Witnesses described the horrifying scene as shots began to ring in the street, violently intersecting the joyous Easter gathering in the park. Although many park-goers were children, the tragedy was not limited to them; two of the five people shot were not even attending the egg hunt.
Speaking to the press, the grandmother of two victims lamented her sorrow and confusion towards a culture where such brutality is now seen almost daily. She stated that the shooting focused on a car in the street, and multiple suspects were involved.
Orange County Commissioner Mike Scott visited the crime scene to support the Orlando Police Department’s efforts to apprehend those responsible. The police have stated they have no current leads.
The tragedy at Poppy Park is more than a sad reminder of the pervasive violence coursing through our world; it is a painful reminder of the innocent lives lost and forever altered in these events.