Manhunt under way for gunman in Florida 'Zombicon' fest
By Les Neuhaus
TAMPA, Fla. (Reuters) - Police were searching Monday for a man who opened fire at a Florida weekend event celebrating zombie pop culture, killing one person, injuring six others and sending thousands of attendees scrambling for cover, according to a police spokesman.
"We've gotten numerous tips," Fort Myers police chief, Dennis Eads told a press conference on Monday. "We have several leads that we are following right now ... I'm very confident we'll find out who did this."
The suspect was described by police as a "white or possibly Hispanic" male in his late teens or early twenties, dressed in a black T-shirt and a flat-billed black and red baseball cap, police said.
The suspect was seen firing a black semi-automatic handgun before fleeing the scene, police said.
Revelers were out late Saturday evening for the annual Zombicon community fundraising event when gun shots rang out as costumed festivity goers ran through the streets of downtown Fort Myers, creating confusion over who was hurt due to zombie props, fake blood and wounds.
Fort Myers Police Department identified the dead victim as Expavious Tyrell Taylor, 20, of Okeechobee, Florida. Taylor was described by friends in local media as an avid football player who was a student in the Miami area.
All six wounded persons suffered non-life threatening injuries, according to Lieutenant Victor Medico with Fort Myers police.
(Editing by David Adams, Bernard Orr)
