19-year-old identified as 12th victim in mass shooting during birthday party at Georgia park
A 12th person has now been linked to the mass shooting at a birthday gathering in a Macon park, according to the Bibb County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff's office said a 19-year-old man arrived at a local medical facility around 12:24 p.m. Sunday with a gunshot wound that was not considered life-threatening. Investigators later determined he was wounded in the shooting at Carolyn Crayton Park earlier that morning. He was listed in stable condition.
The shooting was reported shortly after midnight near the park's skatepark area. Investigators said one group was attending a party when a second group arrived across the street. The two groups exchanged words, displayed guns and then fired at each other, according to the sheriff's office.
The gathering was a birthday party that had moved to the park after the group was asked to leave an Airbnb in Jones County, Bibb County Sheriff David Davis said. Several students from Central High School and Northeast High School attended.
The victims include five 18-year-old males, five 17-year-old males and two 18-year-old females. One 18-year-old and one 17-year-old remained in critical but stable condition, while the other victims were stable, the sheriff's office said.
Several victims were taken to a hospital in private vehicles. The emergency room was temporarily locked down because of the number of vehicles and people arriving.
Investigators took seven vehicles to the crime lab for examination and interviewed 10 witnesses. The FBI is also assisting because of the number of people involved, though Davis said the evidence so far indicates the shooting was a local incident.
No arrests have been announced.
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock said in a Facebook statement that he was closely following the investigation.
"My prayers are with those injured and their families, and I'm grateful for the law enforcement officers who responded at the scene," Warnock said.
Anyone with information may call the Bibb County Sheriff's Office at 478-310-5112 or Macon Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-877-68CRIME.
