Spring Break Marred by Violence as 5 Shootings Erupt Over Weekend Near Daytona Beach, Injuring Cop

NEED TO KNOW

• Five separate shootings were reported in the area of Daytona Beach, Fla., over the weekend when many came to town for spring break

• In one incident, a police officer was injured after exchanging gunfire with another individual

• None of the shootings occurred on the beach itself

As spring break descended upon Daytona Beach, Fla., multiple violent incidents occurred in the area, including the shooting of a police officer.

While the shootings coincided with a weekend where thousands flock to the region, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office said there were no shootings on the beach itself.

According to authorities, the first incident occurred shortly after midnight in the early morning hours of Saturday, March 14, when there was a report of a shot fired inside a club in Daytona Beach, though no one was hurt.

The next incident occurred about 30 minutes later, during which an 18-year-old man was injured after being shot, authorities said.

Then, later Saturday night, two separate shootings left two people injured — a 59-year-old local man and a 19-year-old woman from Atlanta, per the sheriff’s office.

A fifth incident occurred on the morning of Sunday, March 15, in Port Orange, just south of Daytona Beach.

The Port Orange Police Department said in a statement that a South Daytona officer was assisting in the pursuit of a shooting suspect, who subsequently crashed his car before allegedly opening fire at police.

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Police said the officer, identified as Jake Fassenden, was struck in an exchange of gunfire with the alleged suspect, Todd Martin, who was also hit.

Fassenden’s condition was listed as stable, while Martin, who also suffered burns after allegedly “barricading himself inside a patrol vehicle that subsequently caught fire,” is in critical condition, according to Port Orange police.

It is not immediately clear if Martin has been charged with a crime.

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