In the early hours of Sunday (October 4), a shooting incident occurred at a street gathering in central-southern Georgia, USA, resulting in 2 deaths and 35 injuries.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation stated in a press release that the shooting took place around 1:25 am in Vienna, Dooly County, located about 130 miles south of Atlanta, and approximately 100 miles north of the northern border of Florida. Local TV station WALB News 10 reported that this was a homecoming event.
Dooly County Sheriff Craig Peavy told local TV station WMAZ that there were over 1000 people gathered at the scene, with the shooter firing at least fifty shots at two different locations within about a block of each other, causing chaos as people scattered in panic.
Peavy mentioned that even after the police arrived at the scene, gunshots were still heard a block away.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s statement, deputies from the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office were patrolling the gathering when the shooting occurred. Two people were found dead at the scene, with several others sustaining gunshot wounds.
Authorities did not specify how many of the 35 injured individuals were shot, nor did they disclose the nature or severity of their injuries but mentioned that the victims were taken to local hospitals for treatment.
Dooly County coroner Brett Walls disclosed that the two deceased males, aged 20 and 23 respectively, died from fatal gunshot wounds. Several others were also shot, making the scene “extremely horrific.”
Georgia officials have not yet confirmed if any suspect has been detained, whether they have identified and are pursuing a suspect, or if they have determined the motive behind the shooting incident.
Vienna Mayor Eddie Daniels mentioned that the shooting took place just a block away from his home, but he had not spoken with law enforcement officials and was unaware of the specific details of the incident.
The shooting occurred during the homecoming weekend in Vienna, although Daniels stated that the city government did not issue any permits for the street gathering and he could not confirm if it was indeed a homecoming event.
(Reference: Associated Press)