RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — Hundreds of boats and thousands of people packed the waters near Peanut Island for Floatopia this past weekend, but the massive unsanctioned party ended in arguments, fistfights and gunfire.
Witnesses said the event started as a fun time on Sunday.
WATCH: Peanut Island event ends in fights, gunfire
"It was awesome," Trenice Brown said. "Everybody was getting along. It was a good time."
Todd Schuitemia echoed the sentiment, noting, “It was the busiest I’ve seen in 20 years of visiting Peanut Island.”
But the atmosphere turned dangerous by nightfall as boaters tried to return to shore.
"There's always a disagreement at the boat docks," Brown said.
He took video of fights breaking out and captured the moment a shot was fired — believing it was “probably just to disperse the fight.”
PBSO confirmed they responded to the unrest, stating:
On April 19, 2026, at 8:15 p.m., deputies were called to Jim Barry Park, 1800 Broadway in Riviera Beach, in reference to a shooting. While en route, deputies received reports of multiple fights inside the park. Shots may have been fired, but no shooting victim was located — just an unruly crowd, with deputies arresting 5 people for unruly behavior including one juvenile.
Despite Palm Beach County deputies patrolling the waters during Floatopia — “There’s thousands of them out there,” Brown said — some boaters argued docks needed a stronger law enforcement presence.
“A lot of boaters from out of town don’t know the etiquette, and it causes tempers to flare,” Schuitemia said.
The chaos raises safety concerns ahead of another unsanctioned boat party in Palm Beach County this Sunday, Boca Bash. The event has previously faced criticism for dangerous behavior and trash intentionally being dumped in the ocean by teenagers.
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Schuitemia still plans to attend Boca Bash, saying it’s more secure than Floatopia.
“I think Boca is a little bit more organized,” he said. “They have the sheriff’s station at the dock.”
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