Man shot and wounded outside Broward County Main Library
A man was shot and wounded outside the Broward County Main Library in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday afternoon, police said.
The shooting was prompted by an argument, and the shooter is still at large.
Joe Donzelli, a spokesman for Nova Southeastern University, was just returning to the school’s downtown campus as the incident unfolded at about 1:49 p.m.
“Everything was cordoned off,” he said. “I lost count at 15 police cars. There was a complete disruption of traffic and quite a bit of commotion.”
The sound of gunfire erupted in the busy downtown area near the homeless tent encampment outside the library. Some workers in nearby buildings reported hearing shots.
Blood droplets trailed through the library’s lobby, left there by the injured man when he ran inside after he was shot, said Elsie Lewin, assistant to the county’s library director.
Police responded to 101 S. Andrews Ave., cordoned off the immediate area and closed off a portion of the avenue. The library was evacuated and didn’t reopen on Tuesday. Workers in other buildings were told to shelter in place.
The wounded man was hospitalized with injuries that were not life threatening, said Casey Liening, a spokeswoman for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. She did not release his name.
The library will reopen at noon today, its regular opening time.