Two victims were in critical condition as police searched for suspects and investigated why gunfire struck a crowd Saturday night.
SANFORD, Fla. — Eight adults were wounded after gunfire erupted during a family gathering in Sanford on Saturday night, leaving two people in critical condition and prompting an investigation into who opened fire and what led to the shooting, police said.
Sanford police received a 911 call reporting a shooting with injuries at about 9:54 p.m. Sept. 19 near West 10th Street and Poplar Avenue. Responding officers found multiple people suffering from gunshot wounds. Police initially reported that at least six people had been shot before increasing the confirmed total to eight Sunday. Authorities said all eight victims were adults.
The preliminary investigation found that a family gathering was underway on Poplar Avenue when suspects began firing into the crowd, according to the Sanford Police Department. Police said two victims were listed in critical condition after the shooting. Officials had not publicly identified the victims or released detailed information about the conditions of the other six people.
Police Public Information Officer Nicole Brown said investigators had not determined whether the gunfire came from one person or multiple shooters. Authorities said the circumstances appeared to indicate an isolated incident and that the scene had been secured. No suspect had been publicly identified and no arrest had been announced in the latest reports reviewed Sunday night.
Shirley Wynn, whose family was holding the gathering, told local news outlets that relatives and friends had come together to remember her grandson, Zi’Erric Wynn, who died in a car crash in 2020. She told WESH that the gathering marked the anniversary of his death and said hundreds of people had attended to celebrate his life. Wynn said people were talking and socializing when the gunfire began.
Wynn told reporters that the first sounds were initially mistaken for fireworks before people realized shots were being fired and ran for cover. WESH reported that crime scene tape remained around the area for more than 12 hours and that investigators placed dozens of evidence markers along the sidewalk while examining vehicles damaged by gunfire. Police had not publicly said how many shots were fired or disclosed what evidence had been recovered.
The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office assisted Sanford police with the response. Investigators had not announced a motive or said whether anyone at the gathering was specifically targeted. Authorities also had not publicly described any confrontation or other event that may have occurred before the shooting, leaving the circumstances that triggered the gunfire unresolved.
Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith said investigators were continuing to work to determine what caused the shooting. “Our investigators are still working diligently to understand what caused someone to commit such a violent act,” Smith said in a department statement. He asked anyone with information about the shooting to contact investigators.
The shooting also drew a response from members of the surrounding Sanford community. At Second Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, worshippers prayed Sunday for the wounded and their families as police continued searching for answers. The gathering’s organizers said the event had been intended as a remembrance of Wynn’s grandson rather than a setting for violence.
As of Sunday night, police had not announced any arrests or identified a suspect. Sanford police continued seeking information from witnesses, and local reporting said a $5,000 reward was being offered for information leading to an arrest. The investigation remained active, and authorities had not released an updated prognosis for the two victims initially listed in critical condition.
Author note: Last updated September 20, 2026.