Three people killed in shooting at May Day party after 1,000 revellers turn up
The shooting was one of several instances of gun violence in the US over the weekend
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Three people have been killed and at least 12 wounded in a shooting at May Day party in south Alabama.
The incident happened just before 10pm on Saturday night, May 11.
Andre Reid with the Baldwin County Investigation Division told WALA-TV that about 1,000 people were attending a May Day party near Stockton when an altercation started and gunfire erupted.
Reid said most of the victims were “younger people.” There was not immediate word on whether or how many arrests had been made. There was no description of a suspect.
Videos on social media show hectic scenes as first responders arrived. Some people can be seen on the ground bleeding.
“This is a tragic event that touches many lives in our community. We are working very hard to bring this case to a resolution, but we cannot make arrests or successfully prosecute the offenders without help,” the sheriff’s department said.
A witness described a chaotic scene as gunfire broke out at the crowded party.
Douglas Bolden, who now lives in Birmingham, returns home for the event every year for the annual spring May Day event. He told WALA-TV that he took shelter under his camper after gunfire shattered the window of a nearby truck.“You had kids lost out here. Kids running in the woods. People running for their life,” Bolden told the station.
He said “a lot of shots” were fired and gunfire appeared to come from multiple directions.
“There is no reason to be shooting. It’s not that bad. Whatever they had, it wasn’t that bad for you to come up here around all these folks and start shooting. It didn’t make sense. It didn’t make sense at all.”
Stockton has a population of about 400. It is roughly 30 miles (48.3 kilometers) northeast of Mobile, Alabama. Reid said no law enforcement officers were involved in the shooting.
The shooting was one of several instances of gun violence in the US over the weekend.
Three Atlanta police officers were left in hospital with gunshot wounds after an altercation that left a suspect dead Saturday evening.
Officers responded at 5:15 pm to a report of an armed man in a commercial area on Fairbanks Street and encountered a man with a handgun and a knife on Desoto Avenue, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said during a news conference.
“During that encounter there was a struggle, there was gunfire that resulted in three of our officers being injured. It also resulted in the death of the individual that was armed with the handgun,” Schierbaum said.
The police department did not immediately identity the deceased man. Police did not believe anyone else was involved, Schierbaum said.
The three officers were transported in police patrol vehicles to Grady Memorial Hospital. One officer was shot in the shoulder, another was shot in the leg and the third suffered a grazing wound. Two of the officers were expected to undergo surgery, Schierbaum said.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation will lead the probe into the shooting, he said.