'I've Never Seen Anything Like This': Lakeland Police Chief As Shooting Injures 10

LAKELAND, FL — Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor was visibly disturbed as he spoke to reporters Monday night in the wake of a mass shooting that injured 10 men, two critically.

"This doesn't happen here," Taylor said. "I'll be starting my 35th year on Feb. 1 and I've never seen anything like this before. This is a small town. I've never seen this many shot ever."

Taylor said a group of men was gathered outside an apartment complex near Iowa Avenue North and Plum Street at 3:43 p.m. Monday when a dark blue Nissan four-door car with dark-tinted windows and temporary tags slowed down. There were four occupants in the car and all four rolled down their windows and began firing at men who were standing on both sides of the street. The car then sped away north on Iowa Avenue and police continue to search for it.

Taylor believes the men, ages 20 to 35, were targeted and drugs may have been involved since police found marijuana at the scene in a quantity that indicated a drug deal was taking place.

Taylor said a large number of bullet casings at the scene indicated that a great deal of gunfire occurred, but he said he doesn't know if the men at the apartment complex were able to shoot back.

Police found no guns at the scene, but he said several of those with minor gunshot wounds drove themselves to the hospital. Police found a rifle in one of the cars driven by an injured man.

He said four police officers were on the scene within a minute after receiving phone calls of the shooting and were able to get the two critically injured victims and one other to the Lakeland Regional Medical Center by ambulance quickly. One man was shot in the face and another in the abdomen. One was being taken into surgery when the news conference began at 7 p.m. Monday, Taylor said. The other was out of surgery.

Although he doesn't believe the public is in any danger, Taylor said there's an all-out effort to find the Nissan and the shooters, with 25 uniformed police and 15 detectives on the case.

The shooting occurred in an area of Lakeland where there are a number of rental properties and other violence has occurred.

"It's a tough neighborhood," Taylor said. "We're aware of that. The apartment complex is an area we've paid a lot of attention to in past years."

He said he was surprised that the drive-by shooting took place in broad daylight.

In fact, a school bus dropped off neighborhood children in that area about a minute before the mass shooting, he said.

"This is not typical," he said. "We're taking it very seriously."

Taylor said it's too early to say if the shooting is gang-related but said "it's certainly a possibility."

Police originally reported that nine people had been shot but Taylor said they amended the figure to 10 after another man walked into the hospital with injuries.

He said detectives are interviewing witnesses, although many of those injured aren't being cooperative.

He said police have also obtained a Ring video of the shooting that they will examine.