During the Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival, 18 soldiers from the 6th Ranger Training Battalion were caught firing multiple rounds of blank ammunition on a crowded Florida beach on Friday (16).
Several dramatic videos show beachgoers on Crab Island panicking at the sound of the gunfire. The Rangers, dressed in uniform, were divided into two small boats while using their automatic weapons.
“This is unacceptable because there are so many real mass shootings happening in the United States every year,” said Michael Ingram, a local charter boat captain. “You can’t joke about this.”
The Rangers had participated in a staged maritime combat, where the soldiers fired blanks at a pirate ship to “capture” Billy Bowlegs during a reenactment.
+Watch the moment the soldiers fire their weapons
Although the soldiers were authorized to fire, they did not have permission to make additional shots.
“What happened on Crab Island was not part of the Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival, nor was it approved by the City of Fort Walton Beach or the Billy Bowlegs organization,” the city wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday (17).
The unscheduled gunfire prompted numerous calls to local police.
The Army stated that it is “aware” of the situation and is investigating the case.
The soldiers are prohibited from training recruits in the final phase of the Army Rangers course until the investigation is complete.
+See more videos of the Rangers incident
Photos: Facebook Wam Water Adventures. This content was created with AI assistance and reviewed by the editorial team.
