Authorities investigate the scene of a mass shooting where at least two people died and 35 were injured Sunday morning, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, in Vienna, Georgia. (Mike Stewart/AP)
Two killed, 35 injured in shooting at south Georgia, US
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- The GBI identified the deceased as 21-year-old Ja'Quavion Jackson and 23-year-old Macaleb Jackson.
- Over 50 shots were fired into a crowd of over 1,000 attendees spanning four city blocks.
- Authorities have reported no arrests or motive as regional hospitals treat victims aged 14 to 51.
US law enforcement officials are continuing to investigate a chaotic mass shooting that broke out during a massive homecoming block party in a southern Georgia town early Sunday, leaving two people dead and nearly three dozen others injured.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) identified the two fatalities as Ja’Quavion Aderious Jackson, 21, of Cordele, Georgia, and Macaleb Malik Jackson, 23, of Hawkinsville, Georgia.
The GBI noted that it had previously provided an incorrect spelling of the victims' names.
Dooly County Coroner Brett Walls stated that both men were pronounced dead at the scene from fatal gunshot wounds.
Rapid-fire shots
The shooting occurred over homecoming weekend for Dooly County High School, drawing over 1,000 people from surrounding counties following a local high school football victory on Friday.
Dooly County Sheriff Craig Peavy stated that more than 50 shots were fired across at least two locations roughly a block apart in Vienna, a small community located about 130 miles south of Atlanta.
Sheriff Peavy noted that deputies were already stationed near the perimeter of the four-block event when shooting began, followed by additional gunfire about a block away while deputies responded.
"We don’t know if it’s coming at us or someone else," Peavy told WMAZ-TV. "You just have to keep doing what you’re doing and hope you don’t get hit by gunfire... It was so many people. And it was just hard to figure out what was going on."
Party attendee Ashley Gee, 30, described hearing a constant barrage of rapid-fire gunshots resembling a machine gun, prompting immediate mass panic.
"One person ran, and everybody started running," Gee told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Hospitals flooded
The injured ranged in age from 14 to 51 and were transported to multiple regional hospitals.
Sheriff Peavy indicated that some victims remained in critical condition Sunday evening while others were stable.
GBI Director Chris Hosey and Sheriff Peavy confirmed that while many of the injured suffered gunshot wounds, roughly a dozen others sustained injuries while attempting to flee the chaotic scene.
Dooly County School System Superintendent Sherrod Willaford clarified that the block party was not a school-sponsored event, though additional unspecific safety measures will be implemented when schools open Monday.
Vienna Mayor Eddie Daniels added that the city had not issued any permit for the gathering.
Authorities confirmed that no suspects are in custody and no motive has been established.
GBI spokesperson Lydia Bullard declined further comment, citing an active and ongoing investigation.
