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North Florida Fair organizers react to nearby shooting

Posted at 6:52 AM, Nov 18, 2019
and last updated 2019-11-18 11:27:52-05

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — There are still a lot of unanswered questions after a shooting that happened near the North Florida Fair on Saturday night.

It happened about an hour after the fair closed so WTXL doesn't know if the victims were once inside the fair or how the incident started.

Fair organizers say people's safety is something they take very seriously.

"Safety is important to me. I'm a retired police officer myself," said Mark Harvey, the North Florida Fair Executive Director.

Mark Harvey is the Executive Director for the North Florida Fair. That means he helps plan for all the fun to be had every year.

What Harvey didn't plan for...is a shooting.

"I recognize that there was an unfortunate incident last night," said Harvey.

Police say somebody shot and killed a teenager just outside the North Florida Fair. Two others are still hurt and one is in critical condition.

Harvey says even though he doesn't think it was connected to the fair, it's still sad to see it happen somewhere so close by.

"It was thirty minutes after we closed... everybody was off the property. I'm just sad for the people involved," said Harvey.

Harvey explained there was security there that night, and will continue to be there for every fair.

"We hire security. We hire law enforcement. Not because we need it but because we want people to feel safe...that's just what we routinely do...so I'm not going to do anything differently."

Police say a lot of people saw what happened and they need them to step up so officers can find the shooter.

If you know anything about the incident, please call Tallahassee police at (850) 891-4200 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 574-TIPS.