In brief
Early Sunday morning, more than 50 shots rang out at a block party in Vienna, Georgia, killing two men and leaving 35 others wounded. The mass shooting occurred during a Dooly High School homecoming celebration. Police are scouring the area for a suspect and have not yet identified a motive. Victims ranged from 14 to 51 years old. Authorities are working with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations to expand the investigation.
Investigators in Georgia are on the hunt for a suspect in a mass shooting that left two people dead and 35 injured.
Around 1,000 people had gathered for a block party in the rural community of Vienna when over 50 shots were fired. The accidental block party, part of a Dooly High School homecoming celebration, turned into a tragedy as gunfire erupted on the street.
The two fatalities were both men aged 20 and 23 and were pronounced dead at the scene. An additional 25 people were transported to nearby hospitals, many in critical condition, while the remaining 10 were treated on site.
The Dooly County Sheriff's Office had officers positioned at both ends of the gathering but were quickly overwhelmed as the gunfire began. Sheriff Craig Peavy said officers moved through the crowd as people ran in all directions.
Ashley Gee, an eyewitness interviewed by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, described the barrage as “like a machine gun.”
No arrest has been made and authorities have not released a motive for the violence. Victims ranged in age from 14 to 51. The Georgia Bureau of Investigations is now involved in the case, conducting autopsies and continuing the active investigation.
