KISSIMMEE, Fla. – A woman struck on New Year’s Day by what Kissimmee police described as “celebratory gunfire” has died, according to investigators.
Officers responded around 12:02 a.m. to a residence in the 2300 block of Gull Court “in reference to what (appeared) to be a victim (struck) by celebratory gunfire,” the Kissimmee Police Department said in a statement.
Once there, officers determined the victim sustained injuries consistent with a gunshot wound, the statement reads.
The victim, identified as 56-year-old Carmen Rosa Neira Ochoa, was immediately taken to a hospital where she were pronounced dead, police said.
Javier Prado lives on Gull Court and said he’s never seen anything like this happen in the neighborhood.
“You heard all kinds of things — fireworks, shots — it’s New Year’s, you know?” Prado said. “People are just out of control sometimes.”
Prado said he was home at the time of the shooting.
“You don’t expect it, especially on New Year’s, you know?” Prado said. “These people have been here for years, and it’s just amazing what just happens from just one blink of an eye, you know? And it was tough, you know?”
Prado said the response from the police was almost like something out of the movies.
“It was straight movies almost, pretty much,” Prado said. “Cops got out all the vehicles, like 10 vehicles almost, and there were rifles pulled out, flashlights, everybody had long rifles, it was like a Black Ops thing, pretty much.”
Carl Greir was planning on lighting fireworks with his family after work. But once he pulled in and saw the crime scene tape, he changed his plans.
“But with the police taping off the whole house, and I knew somebody died or something happened here,” Greir said. “I said — and they were awake when I got home, and I said we can’t celebrate tonight.”
No further details had been shared at the time of this report. Detectives were said to be working to determine the circumstances of the shooting, according to the statement.
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