Miami Beach sets spring break curfew after 2 fatal shootings
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Crowds gather at Ocean Drive and Eighth Street during spring break in South Beach on Saturday. Photo: D.A. Varela/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
The City of Miami Beach announced Sunday an overnight curfew in response to a pair of fatal shootings on South Beach's Ocean Drive during a busy spring break weekend.
Driving the news: "In response to the two shootings and the excessively large and unruly crowds, and to mitigate dangerous and illegal conduct, the City of Miami Beach has ordered a state of emergency and a 11:59 p.m. curfew to take effect on Sunday," through 6am Monday, per a city statement.
- The action follows shootings in the heart of the South Beach entertainment district Friday night and early Sunday that left two people dead and two others injured.
Why it matters: City leaders have long struggled to manage large spring break crowds.
- This is the third consecutive year that the city has imposed a curfew to control crowds or curb gun violence.
- In March last year, a midnight curfew was imposed after a pair of shootings injured five people on Ocean Drive.
What we're watching: The City Commission will meet on Monday afternoon to discuss possibly imposing another curfew this upcoming weekend, the Miami Herald reports.
What they're saying: Mayor Dan Gelber said in a video address that both shootings "were between visitors to Miami Beach and did not involve residents."
- He said that police were "literally seconds away from the incidents" and made arrests within minutes.
- "That said, it is clear that even an unprecedented police presence could not prevent these incidents from occurring," Gelber added.
Go deeper ... Miami Beach wants a new spring break reputation: "fitness month"