At least 10 shots were fired in Syracuse, New York, injuring up to seven people, including children, late on Thursday night, according to the Syracuse firefighters union and a witness.
As reported by the Huffington Post, the shooting took place at a family gathering where loved ones were mourning the death of a member of the family who had passed away from cancer on Thursday morning.
The youngest person hit by a bullet in the shooting was an 8-year-old girl. The oldest was 35-years-old. Police responded to the shooting in the northern New York city on Midland Avenue shortly after 9 p.m. last night.
“This is very tragic event,” Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler said during a news conference. “This is something that cannot occur in our community.”
The condition of the wounded people has not been disclosed at this stage, but a convoy of ambulances was seen driving away from the scene with a police escort at 9:15 p.m. None of the injuries are thought to be life-threatening. According to police, the victims were transported to Upstate University Hospital.
Police have stated the shots were fired from across the street of the residence, and the family had been gathered on the front lawn of their home for the memorial, per BBC.
Several calls were made to 911 regarding the shooting by witnesses, who claim there were two or three shooters on the scene.
One member of the family was able to count off the victims she knew personally to a reporter, according to local news outlet Syracuse.
“My daughter, my nephew, my friend, my niece and my other niece.”
Tammy Jamison, who was at the memorial, said she could not personally see the shooter, but she was sure that it had not been a drive-by shooting. Approximately 50 people had been gathered for the memorial, all of whom ducked and scattered as the shooting started, some running into the home.
Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler also responded to the scene shortly after 10 p.m. At this stage, police have not arrested any suspects.
It is not the first time a shooting has taken place at the same scene. The house on 1315-17 Midland Avenue was the home of Rashaad Walker Jr.’s family back in 2010 when the 20-month-old baby was fatally shot by a gang member through a car door in an attempt to kill Walker’s father, who was also in the vehicle at the time.
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