WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — A planned fight among young people escalated into a mass shooting at a North Carolina park Monday morning that left two people dead, authorities said.
The shooting happened around 10 a.m. at Leinbach Park, which is near Jefferson Middle School, Winston-Salem police said in a social media post.
Several people were shot, including two fatally, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.
Winston-Salem police Assistant Chief Jason Swaim confirmed that two juveniles had agreed to meet at the park to fight. The confrontation turned deadly when a firearm was discharged, culminating in multiple victims being shot. Swaim noted that investigators are working to identify “numerous people” involved in the incident, clarifying their roles as suspects, victims, or witnesses.
Authorities reassured the public that schools in the vicinity are secure, allowing parents of students at Jefferson Middle School to safely pick up their children.
The shooting unfolded in a suburban area northwest of downtown Winston-Salem, which has a population around 250,000 and is historically noted as the home of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
The shooting happened around 10 a.m. at Leinbach Park, which is near Jefferson Middle School, Winston-Salem police said in a social media post.
Several people were shot, including two fatally, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.
Winston-Salem police Assistant Chief Jason Swaim confirmed that two juveniles had agreed to meet at the park to fight. The confrontation turned deadly when a firearm was discharged, culminating in multiple victims being shot. Swaim noted that investigators are working to identify “numerous people” involved in the incident, clarifying their roles as suspects, victims, or witnesses.
Authorities reassured the public that schools in the vicinity are secure, allowing parents of students at Jefferson Middle School to safely pick up their children.
The shooting unfolded in a suburban area northwest of downtown Winston-Salem, which has a population around 250,000 and is historically noted as the home of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
