Two people have been killed and more than a dozen shot at a nightclub in Fort Myers, Florida, authorities said.
As many as 17 people have been shot in the early Monday shooting at Club Blu, police Capt. Jim Mulligan said.
According to a Fort Myers Police Statement, gunfire started outside Club Blu, located at 3580 Evans Avenue, around 12:30 am. When officers arrived, they found several gun shot victims in the parking lot, some with life-threatening injuries.
Three people have been taken into custody and there are two active crime scenes, Mulligan said.
The area was later deemed safe, but Mulligan said a street was still closed as authorities investigated.
UPDATE: Lee Memorial treated 16 nightclub shooting victims. Youngest 12, oldest 27. 4 still in hospital, 1 is critical and 1 is serious.— WINK News (@winknews) July 25, 2016
In a statement, authorities said the Fort Myers police and the Lee County Sheriff's Office were "actively canvassing the area looking for other persons who may be involved in this incident."
The names of the victims were not immediately available. Authorities indicate that some of the wounded left the area on their own to seek treatment in local hospitals, while Lee County Emergency Medical Services transported those left at the scene.
LATEST: Three in custody after two killed, 14 wounded in #FortMyers nightclub shooting https://t.co/8z6YjE1p3I pic.twitter.com/w1fGFjxkKF— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 25, 2016
On its Facebook Page, Club Blu first indicated that when the shooting started "the event had ended" and "ID was not requited because it was a Middle School/High School event." It later removed the original post and substituted with another one, saying ït was not the kids at the party that did this despicable act".
The shooting comes more than a month after a nightclub shooting in Orlando that was the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history. The shooting at the Pulse nightclub on June 12 left 49 victims dead and 53 others wounded.
The Associated Press and The Miami Herald Staff contributed to this report.
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