Woman dies after shooting at MLK Day party in Florida

A 30-year-old woman has died following a shooting that broke out between rival gang members during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event in Florida, sheriff's officials said.

“Within that park, at the conclusion of the party, shots were fired and eight people were shot, and four others were injured as they attempted to flee that chaotic scene," the sheriff said.

No arrests have been made as of Tuesday morning, but Chief Deputy Brian Hester said detectives are working around the clock.

“Evidence supports this shooting was a dispute between two rival Fort Pierce gangs," Hester said.

He added that investigators found over 50 shell casings from three calibers of weapons at the scene.

“Let me be very clear. If you are thinking of, or hiding, supporting, protecting or aiding any suspect, anyone involved in the heinous incident, then I can assure you you we will arrest you, and we will charge you to the fullest extent of the law."

Hester said the agency is working with local, state and federal agencies. They've set up a hotline for any tips from witnesses.

Video obtained by the station showed people ducking, running and hiding behind cars, including a woman running to safety while holding a baby.

“It’s really sad in a celebration of someone who represented peace and equality that a disagreement results in a use of guns and violence to solve that disagreement, and that’s what’s really sad to me about what happened here," Hester said. "And then so many innocent people who were injured or hurt and were not part of the disagreement as well.”

Fort Pierce is 68 miles (109 kilometres) north of West Palm Beach on Florida’s Atlantic Coast.