Florence Daily Feed

By Matthew Wilkins, Editor-In-Chief

FLORENCE - What started as an ordinary Tuesday morning in downtown Florence turned into chaos when gunfire broke out inside the City Hall and Tower Parking garage just after 11:30 a.m. According to our reporter, a Florence County Deputy Sheriff was shot during the confrontation and had to be resuscitated at the scene before being rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

The suspected gunman was also shot and pronounced dead shortly afterward. Another man who was with the shooter has been detained, though investigators are still trying to determine what part he may have played in this situation. By midday, yellow crime scene tape surrounded the garage as forensic teams moved carefully through the concrete structure, marking evidence and collecting shell casings. City employees and bystanders watched from a distance, shaken by the sudden burst of violence in a normally quiet part of downtown. They reported loud and dozen gunshots.

Authorities have not released the names of those involved, and the area remains closed as the investigation continues.

“This is still a very active scene,” a police spokesperson said. “We’re asking everyone to stay clear of the area while we work to find out exactly what happened.”

Photo: Matthew Wilkins / The Ventura Journal

MILANO - What began as a quiet early morning turned tragic when a panic alarm went off around 1:03 a.m. at Strike Point Gun Dealer. When officers arrived, they found two of their own lying on the cold asphalt - a detective from the State Investigations Bureau and a deputy with the Hayward County Sheriff’s Office. Both had been shot.

The detective was still alive when help reached him, but he died moments later at the scene. The deputy was rushed to the hospital and remains in critical condition, fighting for his life. Police spent the night combing through the parking lot for evidence, their flashlights sweeping over shell casings and shattered glass. So far, investigators haven’t shared what led to the shooting or whether a suspect is in custody.

Officials have declined to comment further, citing the ongoing investigation. For now, a community is left in shock -  and two law enforcement families are facing an unthinkable loss.

Photo: David Zander / ZUMA PRESS