Six are wounded during a Daytona Beach shooting as the US sees wild Memorial Day celebrations 

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Six people have been hurt in a Daytona, Florida shooting as thousands of people across the country defied social distancing rules, including revelers at a wild Memorial Day pool party in Missouri named ‘Zero Ducks Given’. 

Two people were shot and four were hit by shrapnel in the Florida incident around 7.30pm Saturday on South Ocean Avenue near Breakers Oceanfront Park. 

Gunfire erupted along the beachside road where more than 200 people were seen partying and dancing as lockdowns eased up. 

Several people were wounded and taken to the hospital but the injuries are not life-threatening, authorities said. Police said no suspects were arrested and the victims were not cooperating with the investigation.

Authorities had been expecting in influx after last week Governor Ron DeSantis said businesses could operate at 50 percent capacity. 

In the Tampa area along Florida’s Gulf Coast, the crowds were so big that authorities took the extraordinary step of closing parking lots because they were full.

‘Disney is closed, Universal is closed. Everything is closed so where did everybody come with the first warm day with 50% opening? Everybody came to the beach,’ Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said at a Sunday news conference, referring to crowds in the Daytona Beach area.

Cops are looking for one man suspected of encouraging a crowd to gather due to him tossing money out of a car. A video shows approximately 200 people surrounding a vehicle parked on State A1A road outside Burger King.

Chitwood vowed to identify and charge the man but did not say what he would be charged with.

Police said several incidents occurred in the area this weekend, but no one has been arrested. 

‘I know people were scared and I know people were upset about the numbers of crowds there,’ Daytona Police Chief Craig Capri said. ‘We don’t take this lightly especially with the crowds gathering together right now as we got the coronavirus still going around and people not practicing social distancing. But I’m not the social distancing police — that’s not my job.’ 

Volusia County Beach safety director Ray Manchester said along a 47-mile stretch of beach, 300 people were rescued by lifeguards Saturday in the Gulf Coast. He said about the beach: ‘Every part of it was full’. 

The holiday weekend activity apparently put ‘terror’ into local residents and visitors to the area. Volusia Councilwoman Billie Wheeler told the Orlando Sentinel that a hotel owner reported 26 guests checking out Sunday due to the events of Saturday.

Hundreds of revelers have been spotted partying at Lake of the Ozarks on Memorial Day weekend, with a complete disregard for social distancing guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

People packed out bars and restaurants and videos shared to social media on Saturday showed crammed pools at  the likes of Shady Gators and Backwater Jack’s on Osage Beach after Missouri Governor Mike Parson partially lifted coronavirus lockdowns earlier this month.  

In Missouri there are almost 12,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 681 related deaths. In Osage county there were five cases.

Missouri appeared to be enjoying the first phase of Parsons’ reopening plan which states that gyms and hotel swimming pools can open ‘if they adhere to strict social distancing and sanitation protocols.’

For smaller locations (less than 10,000 square feet), retail businesses must maintain 25 percent or less of the authorized occupancy. For larger locations (10,000 square feet or greater), they must maintain 10 percent or less of the authorized occupancy. However these restrictions do not apply to restaurants or hotels. 

Health experts have not indicated that coronavirus can be spread in water. However some merry pool-goers were filmed holding hands and kissing. 

Organizers of Zero Ducks Given at Backwater Jack’s advertised that they had worked with government officials to kick off pool season safely. They stated on Facebook there would be reduced capacity but did not say what their limit was for the gathering which started at 11am.  

Signage at Shady Gators reminded attendees to stay at least six feet apart but it was blatantly ignored by many.

Video showed people inches away from one another at swim-up bars and bathing suit-clad drinkers hugging and dancing closely. 

‘No covid concerns at the lake of the ozarks,’ Scott Pasmore, an KTVK-3TV Arizona anchor tweeted. 

It wasn’t just the pool area that appeared very overcrowded, the bar area overlooking it was filled with revelers too.

One attendee said they did a good job.

‘When we walked up my first words were “oh my gosh” it was intense for sure!! Social distancing was nonexistent. However everyone was enjoying themselves. It was a very carefree environment but security was heavy!’ Jodi Akins told CNN. ‘They checked all of our temps and had thousands of little bottles of hand sanitizer!! They did a good job with what they had to work with!’

Despite the advised reduced capacity, the area in general was predicted to have one of its busiest weekends for the holiday this year.

‘It’s supposed to be one of the biggest Memorial Day weekends we’ve seen at the lake here in years,’ Bill Morgan, manager of Robins Resort in Lake of the Ozarks, told KTVI.

A local resident who filmed the action with his drone appeared to confirm the prediction was correct.

‘It definitely seems like more (traffic) than last year,’ Adam Kirk said. ‘It seems like everyone is having the same idea, to come to the lake to enjoy summer, because you can social distance at the same time.’ 

St. Louis County plans on reopening pools in early June but St Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said what she saw in social media videos from the event was ‘deeply disturbing’.

‘It’s irresponsible and dangerous to engage in such high risk behavior just to have some fun over the extended holiday weekend,’ she said in a statement, KMOV reports. 

‘Now, these folks will be going home to St. Louis and counties across Missouri and the Midwest, raising concerns about the potential of more positive cases, hospitalizations, and tragically, deaths. Deeply disturbing.’ 

The US is on track to surpass 100,000 coronavirus deaths in the next few days, while Europe has seen over 169,000 dead, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide, more than 5.4 million people have been infected and nearly 345,000 have died.

Sheriff’s deputies and beach patrols tried to make sure people kept their distance from others as they soaked up the rays on the sand and at parks and other recreation sites around the country. 

On Georgia’s Tybee Island, the beach was filled with families, bicyclists, beach chairs, games, swimmers and more. On a main drag, people lined the sidewalk at Wet Willie’s, a chain bar that sells frozen cocktails. Most stood close together — not nearly 6 feet (2 meters) apart — and none wore masks.

But at a nearby grocery store, staff members handed customers gloves and a number to keep track of how many people were inside at a time. Shoppers had their own masks.

Officials in California said most people were covering their faces and keeping their distance even as they ventured to beaches and parks. Many Southern California beaches were open only for swimming, running and other activities.

At New York’s Orchard Beach in the Bronx, kids played with toys, and people sat in folding chairs. Some wore winter coats on a cool and breezy day, and many wore masks and sat apart from others.

‘Good to be outside. Fresh air. Just good to enjoy the outdoors,’ said Danovan Clacken, whose face was covered.

On the Sunday talk shows, Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, said she was ‘very concerned’ about scenes of people crowding together over the weekend.

‘We really want to be clear all the time that social distancing is absolutely critical. And if you can’t social distance and you´re outside, you must wear a mask,’ she said on ABC’s This Week.

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