Eleven people were hurt late Saturday after two women got into an argument that resulted in a mass shooting in a busy tourist area of Savannah, Georgia.
The argument between the women began in an unnamed establishment, before spilling over into Ellis Square in Savannah’s historic district just before midnight, Police Chief Lenny Gunther said during a news conference. Ten of the 11 people hurt were hit by gunfire.
“One shot rang out. That triggered other individuals to shoot,” Gunther said. “We had multiple individuals discharge their weapons to shoot at each other, which resulted in multiple people getting shot.”
Investigators did not say what caused the 11th injury. Some victims were treated at the scene, others were taken to the hospital. All shooting victims are expected to recover.
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Victims’ ages range from 20 to 38 years old, and police do not believe the shooting was gang related, according to local TV station WTOC.
The Ellis Square shooting was one of five shootings in the city over the weekend, authorities said. Two of the shootings were deadly.
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The first two of Savannah’s weekend shootings happened Friday. Each of those resulted in a non-life-threatening injury and an arrest. On Saturday, police answering a call about a home invasion found a dead juvenile at the home. Initial reports are that shots were fired after a resident confronted an armed intruder.
Another shooting was reported at a Savannah intersection on Saturday night that left one man dead and a juvenile injured.
Mayor Van Johnson said proliferation of guns was a factor in the shootings and that reasonable gun control laws are needed. He also stressed the need for gun owners to keep their weapons from being stolen and for people carrying guns to know how and when to use them.
“We have to insist on smart gun laws,” Johnson said at a Sunday news conference. “And then, on the other end, we have to insist that people act responsibly with those weapons.”
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The mass shooting happened a week ahead of the tourist-heavy Memorial Day weekend. Gunther sought to assure people that police staffing would be sufficient to keep the public safe.
Ellis Square is in Savannah’s historic district, an area popular among tourists and locals. It was developed in 2010 and is known for a large fountain and a life-sized statue of songwriter Johnny Mercer.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
