A mass shooting at a prominent shopping mall in Florida has claimed the lives of two individuals and injured seven more.

Miami-Dade police reported that an altercation took place inside the Martini Bar in CityPlace Doral early Saturday morning.

Detective Alvaro Zabaleta explained that the fight escalated with the shooter opening fire and killing a security officer who intervened in the dispute. The gunman was later killed in a gunfight with police.

Zabaleta added that 6 witnesses were wounded, including 5 men and one woman, in addition to a police officer who was shot in the leg.

The detective explained in a news conference that “officers that were working at the commercial establishment at the time immediately responded, and there was an exchange of gunfire."

“Unfortunately, the security guard lost his life while he was performing his duties, and of course, our heart goes out to that family.”

According to CBS News, the injured police officer has been freed from the hospital after applying his own tourniquet. Locals expressed horror at the violent incident and a ride-share driver, Rob Abner, told NBC6 that the event was "concerning".

According to the site, this shooting occurred a year after Doral police completed an active shooter practice and mass casualty training to prepare its personnel for such a scenario.

Over 500 mass shootings recorded in 2023 in US

In September 2023, the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit dedicated to monitoring gun-related violence and incidents, reported that there have been a staggering 502 cases of mass shootings in the United States since the beginning of 2023.

The report highlights the growing concern surrounding gun violence across the nation.

Late last month, the Gun Violence Archive sounded the alarm, revealing a disturbing increase in the frequency of mass shooting incidents in 2023 compared to previous years.

If this alarming trend of an average of two mass shootings per day persists, the year-end figure could soar to a harrowing 700 cases, a grim milestone for the United States amid inaction from officials.

Even more alarming is the revelation that the number of mass shooting cases involving four or more individuals killed or wounded has nearly tripled over the past decade.

In 2014, the United States recorded 272 such cases, but by 2020, that number had surged to 610. It has been on the rise since then. This trajectory suggests that the years of President Joe Biden's tenure may witness the highest rate of mass shootings in recent memory.