(CNN) — Orlando police are still searching Saturday for a motive in two shootings that leaves two dead and eight others injured while thousands celebrated Halloween early Friday morning.

Police said they charged a 17-year-old man with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm and six counts of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm.

The slain men were identified as Tyrek Hill, 25, and Timothy Schmidt Jr., 19, Orlando police confirmed to CNN via email Saturday. The injured victims were aged 18 to 39, police said.

Two were admitted to Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition and were deemed stable later Friday morning, hospital spokeswoman Marlei Martinez told CNN. Additionally, a 26-year-old woman was hospitalized after being trampled as bystanders fled.

Orlando police identified a tenth victim, who was in stable condition after being taken to the hospital Friday morning.

It was the 27th mass shooting in Florida this year. according to gun violence archiveswith over 400 nationwide. CNN defines a mass shooting as an incident in which at least four people are shot, excluding the shooter.

The suspect opened fire at the first location before fleeing with the crowd, Police Chief Eric Smith said, citing footage of the first shooting. At a second location, police arrested the suspect moments after he opened fire, the video shows.

About 100 officers were working the area, which allowed for a quick response but did not appear to deter the shooter, Smith said.

“Whatever his mindset was, he was going to shoot no matter what,” Smith said. “He passed in front of several officers. He really didn’t care.

Authorities are confident the shooter acted alone, Smith said Friday afternoon, adding that the suspect was not cooperating or speaking with authorities. The suspect was previously arrested for robbery in 2023, Smith said.

Police are investigating whether the victims were random or known to the suspect. The video captures the moment police say the suspect passes a victim, then turns and shoots.

“Did he know him? Did he happen upon someone who is one of his enemies for some reason? It’s all part of the deal,” Smith said.

The suspect was questioned Friday morning as police searched for a motive, Smith said. “This person right here has ruined his life. For what?” Smith said.

Authorities plan to charge the suspect as an adult, prosecutor Andrew Bain said. “Obviously, given the multiple victims and the brazen nature of the crime, there are several aggravating factors that would go into the matrix to charge him as an adult,” Bain said.

The attack was another example of shootings interrupting ordinary American life, from parade routes to campus returns to a night out on the town.

The gunfire erupted a few blocks from the site of the attack. Deadly mass shooting at Pulse nightclub This happened on June 12, 2016, when a 29-year-old shooter killed 49 people. At least 53 other people were injured and police shot and killed the gunman at the scene.

Here’s what we know about Friday’s murders and the investigation so far:

“Everyone started running” as shots rang out

Large crowds gathered for Halloween festivities and dispersed as shots were fired just after 1 a.m. Friday, surveillance videos from the scene show.

Sofia Alcala, who works downtown, told CNN affiliate WKMG she heard the gunshots before everyone started to “panic”.

“Everyone started running,” she said. “I saw a group of people, you know, enjoying Halloween…and then shots were fired, and everyone just scattered. I heard so many girls calling and crying.

Minutes later, shots were fired at a second location, about a block away. “Shortly after the reported shooting, a shooting suspect was located and taken into custody in Washington and Orange,” Smith said. A handgun was found at the scene, police said.

Between 50,000 and 100,000 people were in the area to celebrate Halloween, which is “one of our busiest nights of the year,” Smith said.

But this year, the measures used in previous years It was not possible to control people looking for weapons during the downtown Halloween celebration — including checkpoints and sniffer dogs — because a 2023 state law allows the Most people carry a concealed weapon without a permit, Smith said.

“When the law changed, basically you can drive on public roads as long as you meet certain criteria,” he said.

The change has “made it even easier for people to carry guns and bring guns downtown,” Mayor Buddy Dyer said.

Dyer implemented a state of emergency for businesses in the downtown Orlando entertainment area. Police said a curfew from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. would be in effect until next Friday.

“We want a fun, vibrant downtown, but we’ve seen recently that brazen criminals are willing to come downtown and shoot and kill innocent victims right in front of our police officers,” Dyer said.

Police said they are studying what resources to add to secure downtown during the weekend, which is typically a popular hangout on the Saturday after Halloween, they said.

Some city officials were considering closing much of downtown, allowing access from a single point during weekends and special events, Orlando’s District 5 commissioner said. Shan Rose. WKMG.

“We have been working with businesses and some downtown residents to explore options for a comprehensive, coordinated entry access point,” Rose said.

“The first thing I did was thank God, I’m still here”

Among the two men killed was a University of Central Florida student, the Orlando-based university confirmed to students Friday in an email shared with CNN.

“Our hearts are heavy with grief as we mourn this tragic and senseless violence, which also resulted in the injury of at least one other student and which may have affected many students celebrating Halloween in and around this incident,” he said. the university said. – the largest in Florida – said in the release.

Anthony Berry, 20, was grazed by a bullet along the upper part of his scalp — an injury that could have been more serious if it had been located an inch lower, said Orlando Health trauma surgeon, Joseph Ibrahim, during a press conference on Friday.

“After this happened, the first thing I did was, thank God, I was still here,” said Berry, who plans to go into nursing. Berry was walking with a friend when the shooting started.