ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando business owners are expressing concern about a new ban being imposed in the downtown bar district – set to go into effect at 1 a.m. Saturday – following a recent shooting.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer declared a state of emergency Friday afternoon, imposing a curfew from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. and ordering alcohol sales to end at midnight. The emergency measures are expected to last seven days.

“Halloween is our Super Bowl,” said Thomas O’Toole, owner of a downtown multi-lot parking management company. “It’s the biggest event in downtown Orlando by far ten times New Year’s, ten times any other event.”

The owner of The Parking Operator, Thomas O’Toole, expressed his frustration at the announcement, adding that the restrictions penalize businesses that were not involved in the violence.

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“The impact is felt by everyone,” O’Toole said. “Everyone wants to be safe. There is no one who comes here with the idea that they are not safe.”

Orlando City Commissioner Shan Rose acknowledged the safety concerns but cited challenges posed by Florida’s universal carriage law.

“Safety is a top priority,” Rose said. “That’s the message. We don’t do knee-jerk reactions. We’re making sure we’re protecting everyone who’s downtown.”

The new restrictions come after a shooting left ten people injured. In response, Rose announced an upcoming security plan to improve safety in the bar district.

However, O’Toole argued that the restrictions unfairly target small businesses.

“So every business in downtown Orlando is now affected for a non-patron who pulled out a gun. I would basically call him a terrorist,” O’Toole said.

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