Two men were critically injured in a drive-by shooting across the street the University of Central Florida Thursday night, deputies said.
Authorities went door-to-door questioning residents on Socrates Drive to see if anyone could give a description of the suspect, who is still on the loose.
Eight shots were fired around 8 p.m. just down the street from Sigma Nu’s off-campus fraternity house and student-housing complex The Marquee (formerly Sterling Central).
Early reports from UCF said the shooting occurred at the Marquee apartments, however, it was later clarified to be only in the general area and not at that exact location.
Orange County Lt. Paul Hopkins said the two men, who are not UCF students, were transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition.
Hopkins said four toddlers were playing near the apartment when shots flew through the window. He said the situation could have been way worse.
Hopkins said the two men shot, ages 21 and 22, were not cooperating with deputies and did not want to press charges. He said they do not know if the incident is gang related or if the suspects knew the victims.
“We don’t have random drive by shootings in this area with people with a gun shooting at innocent people,” Hopkins said. “My indications are that these guys who did the shooting probably knew who these guys were in front of the apartment, and they were targeted.”
UCF students, Aaron Brafford and Eric Pritchard, say they heard the shots from the fourth-floor balcony of their apartment at Sterling Central. They both said they don’t feel safe in the area and are planning to move.
“This is an everyday thing now, so it’s like you kind of get used to it,” Pritchard said.
