Two people were killed and six others wounded in a shooting at Memphis block party on Saturday night, police said.
The two deceased victims were both men but they were not identified further. All six wounded victims were in stable condition by Sunday afternoon, according to Memphis police.
No arrests have been made. Investigators believe at least two people opened fire during the large gathering.
“There are no words that can adequately express the pain we are all feeling over this most recent act of senseless violence — where guns were brazenly brought to a park filled with young people, families and children,” Memphis Mayor Paul Young said in a statement.
Authorities estimated that 200 to 300 people gathered in Orange Mound Park for an outdoor party. The party was not officially sanctioned by the city, according to officials.
About 7:15 p.m., cops responded to the park for reports of a shooting. Officers arrived to find two men dead at the scene and three other people in critical condition, the Memphis Police Department said in a tweet. Other victims were transported to hospitals in private vehicles.
Investigators initially believed 16 people had been shot but later revised the total to eight.
“We believe the error occurred with several victims being reported multiple times,” police said.
Saturday night’s shooting in Memphis was the 121st mass shooting of 2024 in the U.S., according to the Gun Violence Archive, which classifies any incident in which four or more victims are shot as a mass shooting.
“There are no words to describe the frustration of having to use the qualifier ‘most recent’ when speaking of the violence in our community,” Mayor Young said. “This must stop. The violence must end.”
With News Wire Services
