2 people stabbed at Fort Lauderdale gay pride festival, police say

Organizers, police say victims not targeted because they were gay

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Two people were stabbed at the Fort Lauderdale Gay Pride Festival on Sunday, police said.

Officer Casey Liening, a spokeswoman for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, said the stabbing happened about 6:30 p.m. near the main stage of the festival in the 700 block of Seabreeze Boulevard.

Two people have been taken into custody in connection with the stabbing, she said.

Paramedics rushed one of the victims to Broward Health Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. The wounds of the second victim were described as superficial, Liening said.

"We believe this was an isolated incident, which began as an altercation between two parties," Leining said. "This was not an attack or an active killer situation."

Organizers of Pride Fort Lauderdale credited police with quickly apprehending the suspects and said the victims were not targeted because they were gay.

"There is no indication this was a premeditated act of terrorism designed to cause harm or fear to the South Florida LGBTQ community. All indications are that this was a dispute between disagreeing parties," said Norman Kent, a spokesman for Pride Fort Lauderdale.

Fort Lauderdale expanded its gay pride celebration this year, adding a parade along the beach. More than 100,000 people were expected to attend the weekendlong event.


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