United States. Three shootings in less than 24 hours leave at least two dead and a dozen injured

As US President Joe Biden traveled to Uvalde (Texas) to pay his respects in front of the elementary school where an 18-year-old gunman had murdered 19 children and two teachers on Tuesday May 24, the United States deplored three new shootings.

The first occurred on the evening of Saturday, May 28, in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee. At least six people were injured in an exchange of gunfire.

The police were patrolling the neighborhood of bars and restaurants along the Tennessee River when they “observed, at 10:48 p.m., several groups exchanging fire and many people fleeing the area”.

“Our officers came to the aid of the victims and to help the others to safety”said a police spokesman. “They were able to arrest at least one of the shooters moments after the shooting. »

According to the authorities,  » various «  gunshot victims were transported to local hospitals. Two people were seriously injured.

Most of the victims were teenagers or just of age, police said. “Among them were young people in their early twenties. These people had come to celebrate the end of their year of high school or university, as well as the presentation of their diploma, when they were targeted”.

Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly tweeted Sunday, May 29, denouncing the shooting, which he called a“unacceptable – our city and our community will act”.

In the neighboring state of Georgia, the town of Thomaston (100 km south of Atlanta) was bereaved. Several teenagers were injured after a shooting broke out at a graduation party during the night of Friday May 27 to Saturday May 28.

Local police said they responded to a « fatal incident just before 1 a.m. » during a graduation celebration party.

‘The party where the gunshots broke out was being held at the Park Place event center and was attended by at least 200 people, most of them minors’.

The shots claimed at least one victim, an 18-year-old young man. Rushed to Upson Regional Medical Center for treatment, he could not be saved and was pronounced dead on arrival.

Another 17-year-old boy was airlifted to another hospital, while a second gunshot participant, aged 15, was also treated.

According to investigators, the shooting started after a fight between high school students.

No arrests were made on Saturday evening and police have released no details of the suspects.

Festival-goers targeted

The third shooting occurred on the night of Saturday May 28 to Sunday May 29 in Taft (10 miles southeast of Tulsa, Oklahoma) during an outdoor festival. One person was killed and seven others injured, including two minors.

Witnesses said an argument preceded the gunshots just after midnight. Present to oversee the event, the police were able to quickly intervene and rescue the victims.

However, the perpetrator(s) of the shots have not yet been arrested.

Nearly 1,500 festival-goers attended this event organized on the eve of « Memorial Day », a public holiday in the United States.

Separately, several other incidents erupted over the weekend in New York and Brooklyn, where two men were shot and killed and five other people, including a minor, were injured and taken to hospital.