U.S. beach city issues state of emergency, curfew after deadly shootings

WASHINGTON, March 19 (Xinhua) -- The City of Miami Beach, in the U.S. state of Florida, issued a state of emergency and a curfew on Sunday after two deadly shootings.

The city said the curfew will be from 11:59 p.m. Sunday local time (0359 GMT Monday) until 6 a.m. Monday (1000 GMT). Officials intend to impose similar additional curfew restrictions from Thursday through next Monday.

The measures came after a man died and another man was injured in a shooting in South Beach Friday night, and another deadly shooting in Miami Beach early Sunday morning.

Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said in a video message posted on Sunday that the crowds and presence of firearms have "created a peril that cannot go unchecked."

A south Florida island city, Miami Beach will hold a special commission meeting on Monday afternoon "to discuss the restrictions beyond Monday," according to a press release.

The United States has lost more than 8,960 lives to gun violence so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.