A mass shooting at a large house party in New Jersey late Saturday left two people dead and 12 others injured, WABC-TV reports.
Police were called around 11:50 p.m. Saturday to a home in Fairfield Township that was hosting more than 100 people for a party. Details on what prompted the shooting have not yet been released publicly and police have not made any arrests.
New Jersey State Police called the incident a “mass shooting event,” according to WCAU-TV.
The Rev. Michael Keene of Trinity AME Church, which is located across the street from the scene, said he heard numerous gunshots.
“I just started hearing at first what I thought was fireworks, it was really gunshots, and I heard nine in rapid succession,” Keene told WABC-TV.
The victims who died were a 25-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, and one of the 12 injured victims is in critical condition. All of the victims were adults. Medics attended to some of the victims, while other victims drove themselves to the hospital, according to WABC-TV.
At least six victims were being treated at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, CNN reports. An uncle of the woman who died told WABC-TV that he was “absolutely heartbroken” about his niece, whom he described as a “good girl.”
Another man, John Fuqua, told WCAU-TV that his nephew narrowly escaped the shooting.
“My nephew said he was having a good time and next thing all he heard was shooting and he was running for his life,” Fuqua told the television station. “He got on the ground, he had to crawl. He stepped over a dead body.”
Helicopter footage shows debris strewn around the property of the home, including a tent that was knocked over. Vehicles of party attendees could also be seen parked along a street, some blocks away from the home.
Melissa Helmbrecht of HopeLoft Community Center told WABC-TV that party attendees had been looking forward to the gathering, which was 90s themed.
“We have a lot of challenges in this community and we’ve had a lot of tragedies. I’m just worried for our friends, our family, our employees. Over the coming days we’re going to have a lot of pieces to put back together.”
Keene, the reverend, questioned why the shooter brought a gun in the first place.
“If you’re going to a party, why do you need to take a gun?” Keene told WABC-TV. “If you’re there to have a good time, why do you need a gun with you? That means you’re expecting trouble to me.”
The scene of the shooting is in rural Cumberland County in southern New Jersey, according to WCAU-TV.
To report information about the case, call the New Jersey State Police at 856-451-0101 or send a tip to the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office at www.njccpo.org/tips.
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