Fort Lauderdale Detective Kevin Dupree released a statement Friday saying, “This is an active investigation and the circumstances surrounding this incident are still being determined.” Due to the active and on-going investigation, the police have not released any information on a possible motive as of Friday evening.

The shooting occurred at Mills Pond Park that was filled with an estimated 600 people including coaches, cheerleaders, and youth football players ranging in ages of 4 to 14.

David Williams, 43, the Fort Lauderdale Hurricanes head coach, had just finished practice and was walking his team off the field. Williams had just provided his players with Gatorade and cookies when he spotted a group of men approaching them in a parking lot adjacent to the fields. Williams then quickly told all the kids to scatter just before the men opened fire striking Williams multiple times. No other persons were believed to have been injured in the shooting. Williams was later pronounced dead after being taken to Broward Health Medical Center by Fort Lauderdale Fire and Rescue with multiple gun shot wounds.

The president of Florida Youth Football League, Jamaal Gaines, told the Sun Sentinel, “I just heard shots, ran in that direction and found one of my coaches on the ground fighting for his life.” Gaines described Williams as being a “giving guy” and a dedicated volunteer coach who also owned a car wash on sunrise Boulevard. “You’re numb and praying, praying for a human being and hoping he can live through this,” said Gaines. “It’s a traumatizing situation.” Gains also said that police have a presence at the football games, and up until this incident there hadn’t bee a need for police at practice sessions. “I don’t know why he was targeted,” said Gaines. “We’re doing a great job for the community. I pray this doesn’t impact the program.”

Williams coached for the league for 12 years, and the kids he was coaching Thursday night were 7-years-old.

Martin Maultsby, the president of the Florida Youth Football League who was not on the field when the incident occurred said, “I’m pretty sure that there were some kids who were leaving the park, who maybe didn’t see the incident itself, but may have seen him injured after it was done. Everything just happened so rapidly, and it’s not a norm or common, it’s an anomaly.”