Local News

Police say 2 shot at Fla. waterpark parking lot

Posted: 04/15/08 at 8:20 am EDT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Two teenage brothers were injured Sunday when shots were fired outside a central Florida water park, police said.

Gunfire erupted during a brawl in the parking lot of Wet 'n Wild water park Sunday afternoon, Orlando police spokeswoman Barbara Jones said.

The brothers were hospitalized with injuries that were not life threatening, Jones said. Michael Roosevelt, 18, suffered a gunshot wound in the leg, and Marlin Laguerre, 16, was injured in the mouth, possibly from a thrown rock, Jones said. Both are from Pompano Beach.

No arrests have been made in the shooting, but a 17-year-old was charged with misdemeanor assault and interfering in an investigation.

Police said the incident started inside the park, when dozens of children jumped on an officer who was making an arrest. Several hundred children were ushered to the parking lot to board buses operated by Fort Lauderdale-based Xtreme Trips, which organizes outings for high school and college students. Multiple fights then broke out in the parking lot.

A message system for Xtreme Trips was full Sunday.

Officers found a loaded .22-caliber handgun in the bathroom of one of the buses, but it's unclear whether it was the weapon used against the brothers, Jones said.

Wet 'n Wild spokesman Mike Black said some members of a large group "had become unruly" while visiting the park.

"Our security team worked closely with the Orlando Police Department to remove the unruly individuals as a precaution," Black said in a statement, adding that the incident is still being investigated.

Wet 'n Wild is a unit of Universal Parks and Resorts.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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