No shooting at Daytona Beach: Water bottles, not gunfire, sparked panic, sheriff says

Spring break weekend in Daytona Beach sees shootings, arrests

A busy spring break weekend in Daytona Beach was marked by several shootings, large crowds, and dozens of arrests, authorities said.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said Monday that there was no shooting at Daytona Beach over the weekend, where hundreds of people were celebrating Spring Break. He said people on the beach smashing water bottles may have sounded like gunfire, which caused panic and people to stampede across the beach.

The Daytona Beach Police Department is investigating four shooting incidents that happened over the weekend with the City of Daytona Beach, though none happened at the beach itself.

Video: Sheriff Mike Chitwood talks Spring Break at Daytona Beach

What they're saying:

"There were zero gunshots on the beach. Because what they were doing was crushing a water bottle to make it sound like a gunshot to stampede the crowd," he told reporters during a press conference on Monday morning.

"I was out there, the chief (of Daytona Beach Police Department) was out there. We were in the middle of it. People might not want to hear this, but everybody we came into contact with was polite."

Volusia Sheriff: No shootings at Daytona Beach | Full speech

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said there were not shootings on Daytona Beach over the weekend, dispelling social media rumors after videos surfaces online showing mass crowds of people running. He said people on the beach were smashing water bottles, which may have sounded like gunshots, and triggered a "stampede" on the beach. He said 133 people were arrested in Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach amid the Spring Break rush. Daytona Beach Police is investigating 4 separate shootings that happened within the City of Daytona Beach, all unrelated to the incident on Daytona Beach.

Sheriff Chitwood said 50 deputies were stationed along the beach. He said a total of 133 people were arrested between Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach for various offenses.

Sheriff: Daytona Beach did not want to declare a special event zone

Sheriff Chitwood said it appears that the event at Daytona Beach was social media driven, he said. He added that the City of Daytona did not request a special event zone.

FOX 35 has reached out to the City of Daytona Beach for comment.

According to VSO's website, citing Florida law, a special event is defined as: "an unpermitted activity or event organized or promoted via a social media platform which is attended by 50 or more persons and substantially increases or disrupts the normal flow of traffic on a roadway, street, or highway."

Under designated special event zones, the fine for non-criminal traffic infractions is doubled. Officers can also impound a vehicle for 72 hours, and can set occupancy limits.