Fort Myers church evacuated by police, 2 detained

Reporter: Haley Zarcone Writer: Rachel Murphy
Published: Updated:
Police officers on scene at Seventh-day Adventist Church on Ortiz Avenue (CREDIT: WINK)

Fort Myers Police evacuated Seventh-day Adventist Church on Ortiz Avenue after being told that a suspicious person was spotted and was potentially armed.

According to police officers, everyone at the church was evacuated, and the property was searched. Officers detained two individuals in the parking lot.

The investigation remains active. Detectives are still on scene and no arrests have been made yet. People near the church told WINK News that detectives were speaking to residents at nearby apartment complexes and searching the area.

“All of a sudden, we heard some radio. We thought it was something coming to the speaker system. Then the police officers came in and told everyone to get down and put their hands up. They said, ‘Get down, get low to the ground.’ They didn’t share too much with us. They just kind of started going around the sanctuary,” said Juan Rodriquez, who attends Seventh-day Adventist Church.

According to Fort Myers Police, there was not an active shooter at any time. No injuries were reported.

This is a developing story and WINK News will update this article with more information as it is found.

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