Nine children, teenagers shot at Georgia gas station, police say

COLUMBUS, Ga. – 9 youths – together with a 5-year-old youngster – have been wounded after pictures rang out at a gasoline station in a Georgia metropolis bordering Alabama, authorities mentioned Saturday.

Officers from the Columbus Police Division responded about 10 p.m. Friday and located a number of gunshot victims amid a big group of individuals.

Police Chief Freddie Blackmon mentioned at a information convention Saturday that an altercation apparently happened at a celebration close by, and it spilled over to the gasoline station when the capturing started. Additional particulars weren’t supplied, however Blackmon mentioned the incident remained beneath investigation.

“I’m dedicated to assuring you that we are going to discover the individual or individuals accountable for this mindless crime,” he mentioned.

Blackmon mentioned detectives have spoken with witnesses, a few of whom are cooperating – whereas others are usually not.

“I encourage anybody with data to contact police. I encourage mother and father whose youngster was injured on this incident to be sure that any data they share with them is shared with police. We are going to work across the clock to resolve this case,” he mentioned.

The victims, whose names weren’t launched, ranged in age from 5 to 17. Seven males and two females have been harm, police mentioned. As of Saturday afternoon, no less than 4 had been discharged from hospitals the place they have been handled, Blackmon mentioned.

Authorities mentioned not one of the accidents appeared life-threatening.

Blackmon urged mother and father locally to “know the place your youngsters are and what they’ve of their possession.”

“We should work towards serving to talk to our youngsters tips on how to peacefully resolve battle with out resorting to gun violence,” he mentioned.

“I’m so grateful to God that we didn’t have anybody lose their life,” Mayor B.H. “Skip” Henderson III mentioned. “I’m uninterested in seeing people having a disagreement or argument or possibly even a fistfight who then suppose they’ve to succeed in for a gun. That’s simply received to cease. We’ve received to discover a method locally to reclaim our younger folks.”

No arrests have been made, and Blackmon didn’t point out whether or not detectives have pinpointed any suspects.

Columbus is situated about 110 miles (177 kilometers) southwest of Atlanta and about 85 miles (137 kilometers) east of Montgomery, Alabama.