A 16-year-old boy and 40-year-old woman were shot as multiple gunmen fired ‘a large number of shots’ from two rival cars outside a Michigan high school graduation ceremony.
Cops have launched an urgent manhunt for two shooters, who sped off after exchanging gunfire in a parking lot near East Kentwood High School Thursday night.
The Kent County Sheriff’s Office said the teen, from Texas, was struck in the wrist. The woman, a 40-year-old from nearby Grand Rapids, was struck twice.
Both are being treated at area hospitals and said to be in stable condition. According to police, there is no known connection between the suspects and the victims.
‘It’s possible they just happened to by bystanders in the event,’ Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young said during an on-site press briefing.
The shooting comes just one day after shots were fired following a high school graduation in Tennessee, leaving one teen dead and another injured.
Shots were fired in the stadium at East Kentwood High School (pictured) after a commencement ceremony for the district’s alternative school, Crossroads Alternative High School, Thursday night
LaJoye-Young said the gunfire exchange occurred as families were exiting the East Kentwood High School stadium where the district’s alternative school, Crossroads Alternative High School, was holding its commencement ceremony.
Sixty students and their families were involved in Thursday night’s graduation ceremony. Attendees were able to leave immediately after the shooting.
A middle school concert happening at the same time in the school auditorium.
‘This is a very traumatic thing to go through and I would say be empathetic to other members in the community and understand that going through something like this is something that will be difficult for them … to talk through it,’ she said. ‘When we have an event like this our whole community suffers.’
Residents claim they heard a dozen shots ring out, before frantic commencement attendees tried to flee the area.
‘We were eating dinner and we just heard a whole bunch of pops,’ Zuheidy Holland told WOOD-TV. ‘Looked out the window and saw a whole bunch of kids running.’
Monez Gales, an alum of Crossroads Alternative High School, said he was driving through the area when gunfire erupted.
‘It’s sad, it’s sad man. My generation was nothing like this. We had a problem we would handle it at home,’ he explained. ‘There (were) grandmothers in there, babies in there.’
Gales alleged violence in the area has become all too common, saying: ‘It usually gets like this once that weather breaks. All we can do is pray.’
Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young said cops have launched a manhunt for two suspects, both of whom sped off in white sedans after the shooting
Authorities do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the community, but LaJoye-Young did issue a stark warning about violence in the community.
‘I’m certainly concerned about the surge in violence and, again, I’ll go back to communities, keeping communities safe,’ the sheriff said. ‘We have to work together to bring these cases to resolution. We have to know that it’s up to each person in this community to keep each other safe.’
Kentwood Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Polston released a statement saying the the district will offer counseling and support to those in need.
‘When violence occurs within our community, it is both troubling and tragic,’ he penned. ‘We remain committed to the health and safety of our community and will provide support and counseling to any students that need assistance.’
Thursday’s shooting comes less than 24 hours after a 17-year-old boy fired multiple rounds, killing one person and injuring another, following a high school graduation at Middle Tennessee State University.
The incident occurred outside the Murphy Center athletic facility Wednesday night where Riverdale High School was holding the event.
The shooter, whose name is being withheld due to his age, was charged with first-degree murder for the death of Hasani Brewer, 18.
One person is dead and another critically injured after shots were fired following a high school graduation at Middle Tennessee State University
The incident occurred outside the university’s Murphy Center athletic facility Wednesday night where Riverdale High School was holding its commencement
Preliminary investigation revealed that Brewer and the other victim, a 17-year-old boy, were got into an altercation, and the fight spilled over to the tennis court on the MTSU campus next to the Murphy Center.
That’s when the shooter, also 17, opened fire, killing Brewer and injuring the other victim. Police have not released the teen’s name, but say he is in stable condition.
Police in Murfreesboro, Tennessee – where MTSU is located – said the incident, which occurred as people were leaving the graduation, was ‘not a random shooting.’
‘The two victims and the shooter knew each other,’ Officer Larry Powers told DailyMail.com. ‘This is a senseless act of violence that never should have occurred. We ask the public to join us in sending prayers to the families during this tragic and difficult time.’
The shooting remains under investigation. Police say additional charges could be filed against other individuals involved in the fatal incident.