NEED TO KNOW
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On May 28, a shooting occurred near Tacoma, Washington, injuring seven people
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Five victims were taken to the hospital by emergency responders, while three others went on their own
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Police are still investigating the incident, unsure of the number of shooters or whether the victims were the intended targets
Seven people were shot and injured in a mass shooting near Tacoma, Washington Wednesday evening.
Lakewood police said there was a gathering of more than 100 people when some kind of dispute broke out between two groups on May 28, which led to the gunfire erupting, police sergeant Charles Porche told the AP.
“Officers arriving at the park found a large crowd that had gathered due to the nice warm weather. The scene was quite hectic as a large number of these people were attempting to flee the park after hearing the shots,” Porche told the News Tribune.
West Pierce Fire & Rescue provided medical care to five of the victims, Porche said, per the outlet. Those five were taken to a local hospital, while three others went to the hospital on their own.
“Unfortunately, there were unintended/uninvolved victims struck during this careless act of violence,” Porche said in a news release, per the AP. “Detectives will continue to sort through the information gathered to hold those involved accountable for their actions.”
Police said the victims ranged from a 16-year-old girl, who was in stable condition, to a 38-year-old man who was in critical condition, the outlet reported. Three others were in serious condition.
“We’ve had these couple of days here where the sun finally came out and it’s been a gorgeous time for people to get out and enjoy the park, the lake and then you have something like this that happens,” Porche said. “It is one of the great tragedies, right? You don’t want anybody to get shot and then you end up with seven different victims that happen out of this act of violence.”
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Investigators told the News Tribune that they don’t yet know how many shooters were involved or if the victims were intended targets. No arrests have been made, and the shooting remains under investigation.
The shooting comes just days after a separate mass shooting in Philadelphia on Memorial Day, which left two people dead, and nine others injured.
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