Baby shower shooting started with a fight at a nightclub, cops say

A shooting outside of a Sarasota baby shower has been connected to a fight at a Palmetto nightclub.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office on Monday identified the shooting victim as a 29-year-old Parrish man.

Around 5:21 p.m., as the victim stepped out of a home in the 4400 block of Caicos Court while around 30 to 50 people were inside celebrating Saturday evening, two men wearing hooded sweatshirts, masks and jeans approached.

The men fired multiple shots at the home and some of the bullets struck Edwards as he ran. Earlier reports indicated there were three suspects, but further investigation has narrowed the count. One is said to stand at 5-feet 11-inches, but the sheriff’s office had no more description.

Edwards was transported as a trauma alert to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where he remains as of Monday. No one else was injured.

Aviation crews, deputies and K9 units were not able to find the suspects, who ran westbound on Wilkinson Road.

Detectives believe the shooting was related to a fight Friday outside of The Hall, located at 1330 U.S. 301 in Palmetto. The shooting victim was there when the altercation broke out in the parking lot, the sheriff’s office reported, and say he was targeted the following day.

Authorities are working with Manatee County law enforcement to identify the suspects.

Anyone with information on the incident can contact the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Section at 941-861-4900 or Crime Stoppers of Sarasota County at 941-366-8477.

This story was originally published October 30, 2017 at 4:07 PM with the headline "Baby shower shooting started with a fight at a nightclub, cops say."