ORLANDO, Fla. — Orange County deputies are investigating after two men were found shot early Friday.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Deputies were called for reports of a shooting just before 5 a.m. on Southland Boulevard and Orange Blossom Trail, not far from the Florida Mall.
Photos: Orange County deputies respond to crime scene on Orange Blossom Trail
When officers arrived they found two men in their 20s who were shot.
0 of 10
Watch: Man shot after grabbing deputy’s Taser in The Villages, officials say
Both were taken to a hospital where one of the men was pronounced dead.
The other victim is in critical condition at the hospital, deputies said.
Read: Deputies conduct investigation in Buena Ventura Lakes in Osceola County
What would have been a busy shopping center the day before New Year’s Eve is now the center of a shooting investigation.
“New Year’s Eve is tomorrow and look what a family has to deal with,” a man said. “We have to do better.”
Jaydah Azeez was waiting across the street from her shop, two doors down from the restaurant. She was unable to get into work on Friday.
Read: Deputies: 3 South Florida men caught with 13 catalytic converters in trunk of stolen car
Police tape and several cruisers were at the Shoppes of Southland as our crew first arrived.
Azeez and other people waited for the crime scene tape to come down and said people tend to get together at La Belle Caribbean Restaurant.
“It’s pretty hectic sometimes,” she said.
Another man across the street was in shock at the scene. He had gone inside the restaurant last month.
“It’s just like every other restaurant, hookah spot,” he said. “You come here for a good time.”
Watch Channel 9 Eyewitness News for updates on this developing story.
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2022 Cox Media Group
