Three people have been shot outside the Belle Glade Health Department in south Florida, local officials say. Two other people were shot a few miles away though it was not immediately clear if the shootings were linked.
The first incident happened at about 4:47 p.m. ET on Monday when deputies were called to reports of a shooting at a bus stop outside the health department in Belle Glade, a small city about 70 miles (113 kilometers) northwest of Miami.
Upon arrival, deputies from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office located three victims who had been shot. All three victims were rushed to an area hospital for treatment, where there was no immediate word on their conditions.
As a result of the shooting, the Belle Glade Health Department was put on lockdown as a precaution, even though the shooter never entered the building. The lockdown was lifted at about 6:45 p.m. after deputies cleared the scene.
Therese Barbera, a spokeswoman for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, said she had no information about the suspect or a possible motive. She said Crime Scene Investigators and detectives from the Violent Crimes Division were investigating.
Nearly 40 minutes after the shooting, deputies were called to another shooting in the 100 block of NW 9th Avenue in South Bay, a small city just a few miles (kilometers) from Belle Glade. It was not immediately known whether it was linked to the shooting outside the health department.
Barbera said deputies arrived at the second shooting and found two victims who were suffering from gunshot wounds. One person was pronounced dead and the second person was taken to hospital in an unknown condition, according to Palm Beach County Fire Rescue.
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