City of Miami Beach officials declared a state of emergency on Monday and an upcoming curfew, in an effort to curb violent incidents at spring break that saw five people wounded in two separate shootings.
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber and City Manager Alina Hudak announced the emergency order at an afternoon news conference. It includes a curfew for the South Beach area that starts early Thursday after midnight and runs through the weekend.
The city commission will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday to discuss the declaration, and Hudak said she plans to recommend the curfew be extended through the next weekend.
Thousands of college students and other young people gather annually in Miami Beach for spring break, and this is the second year in a row that officials for the South Florida city have declared a state of emergency in this famed partying spot.
The mayor said about 100 guns were seized over the past four weeks, and several police officers have been injured while controlling the crowds.
