A 14-year-old girl was killed and 14 others were injured in a shooting that was carried out by multiple gunmen at an illegal neighborhood concert in South Carolina this weekend, which was marred by a dozen mass shootings across the country.
According to a preliminary investigation, a fight broke out between groups of attendees at the concert, which was held without crowd permits, in North Charleston late on Saturday, before two or more shooters opened fire into the crowd.
The deadly incident in North Charleston was just one of 12 mass shootings to took place across the US, including in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas and Virginia.
The violent mass casualty incidents that took place between Friday night and Sunday night left 11 people dead and 69 others injured.
In South Carolina, police officers were called to the area of Piggly Wiggly Drive and West Jimtown Drive at around 10.27pm on Saturday and found several people suffering from gunshot wounds, North Charleston police Deputy Chief Scott Deckard said during a press conference on Sunday.
Other victims had been driven to hospitals.
Early indications show that a fight broke out at the concert in North Charleston late on Saturday
North Charleston police say the concert was unannounced and unauthorized
More than a dozen people were shot, Deckard told media outlets.
Police didn't immediately release any information about a suspect or suspects, and few other details were released as of Monday morning.
The identity of the deceased victim has not yet been released.
Local resident James McClaim told the Post and Courier that some neighbors of his were having what he called a 'cookout' in a field where a stage was set up. There were also food stations and a table that was designated as a 'Tiki Bar.'
'Some girls from another area, who didn’t live here, came and, before you know it, a doggone argument started. And the next thing you know, bullets are flying,' he told the newspaper.
Another witness, Dalonzo Gibson, told the station WYFF4 that he heard the gunshots but initially mistook them for fireworks.
'I was sitting on the porch and talking to one of my friends and I heard a series of shots, at first I thought it was just fireworks,' Gibson said. 'But then when I heard retaliation with an additional gun, because it sounded different, I knew they were guns.'
During Sunday's press conference, North Charleston Police Chief Reggie Burgess said; 'It's a sad day that we have to be here today to talk about another death of another young person.'
He added: 'The individuals were angry at each other and they didn't care who got hit.'
Police didn't immediately release any information about a suspect or suspects, and few other details were released early Sunday
A teenage girl has been killed and 14 others injured in a shooting by 'multiple gunman' at an illegal neighborhood concert in South Carolina. Scene is pictured above and below
'Something happened here that should have never happened. They should have never been set up in the first place here,' Burgess said.
'That young girl lost her life and 14 other people got victimized, that's another part.'
According to the police chief, the concert was illegal for several reasons, including the unauthorized sale of alcohol on private property.
Burgess encouraged members of the community to continue to come forward with any information surrounding the incident.
North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said if the organizers of the unauthorized gathering were charging fees and serving alcohol without a permit, 'they need to go to jail.'
The tragedy in South Carolina was just one of at least 12 mass shootings that took place across the country over the weekend, as CNN reported.
In Jersey City, New Jersey, people said two people were killed and four others were injured after multiple gunshots rang out at around 11pm on Friday.
The deceased were identified as 25-year-old Randolph Black Jr and 26-year-old Jason Crutcher. No arrests have been announced as of Monday.
A shooting during an argument in downtown Minneapolis on Saturday morning killed one person and injured eight others
A wild house party in Fairfield Township, New Jersey, came to a tragic end on Saturday night when a man and a woman were shot dead, and a dozen others were wounded
In Fort Wayne, Indiana, one person was killed and three others were wounded in a shooting that took place at an apartment complex before 1am on Sunday
In downtown Minneapolis, a shooting in the early hours of Saturday morning killed one person and injured eight others.
Police said two people were arguing in the middle of a crowded North First Avenue when they pulled out guns and opened fire.
Also on Saturday, four people, among them a child, were injured in a shooting that occurred at the Texas Bank Sports Complex in San Angelo, Texas.
The victims were treated for minor injures, and a suspect was arrested.
About an hour after the incident in North Charleston on Saturday night, two separate mass shootings in Columbus, Ohio, and Cumberland County, New Jersey, took the lives of at least three people and injures 17 others.
In Columbus, a 16-year-old girl was killed and five other people, including a 16-year-old boy, two 19-year-old men and a 19-year-old woman, were wounded when someone opened fire at around 11.50pm at Bicentennial Park.
In Youngstown, Ohio, three people were killed and at least three others were hurt when shots were fired at the Torch Club and Bar
At the same time, gunfire erupted during an out-of-control house party in Fairfield Township, New Jersey, which was attended by hundreds of people. A man and a woman were killed, and a dozen others were wounded.
'No arrests have been made, and the motive and incident remain under investigation,' New Jersey State Police posted on Facebook on Sunday.
In Paterson, New Jersey, five people suffered gunshot wounds when someone opened five during a large gathering early Sunday morning. Police said a 26-year-old man was hospitalized in critical condition.
In Norfolk, Virginia, a shooting left four people suffering from non-life-threatening gunshot wounds on Sunday morning. No arrests have been made.
In Fort Wayne, Indiana, one person was killed and three others were wounded as a a result of a shooting that took place at an apartment complex at 12.45am on Sunday.
Just 15 minutes later in the Chicago suburb of Park Forest, Illinois, a celebration taking place in a theater was marred by an altercation and shooting, which left four people injured. Two of the victims sustained serious but non-life-threatening injures. Police said they believe more than one firearm was used.
About an hour later in Youngstown, Ohio, three people were killed and at least three others were hurt when shots were fired at the Torch Club and Bar.
Violence continued into the daytime hours, when gunfire erupted on Sunday afternoon on the West Side of Chicago, leaving four people injured, among them a 41-year-old man who was hospitalized in critical condition.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, so far this year, there have been 225 mass shootings across the US that have left 251 people dead and 919 others wounded.
Since January 1, 2021, more than 7,500 people have died as a result of gun violence.
Post a Comment