EDMOND, Okla. (AP) — A weekend shooting at a lakeside park in Oklahoma that left nearly two dozen people injured erupted when a group began arguing at an unsanctioned party packed with young adults, a witness said Monday.
Authorities were continuing to search for suspects Monday in the shooting that critically injured at least three of those hurt. No arrests have been made.
It wasn’t clear how many of the injured had been shot, police said Monday in a statement. It provided few answers about what had happened.
The shooting broke out Sunday night at a public park near a campground at Arcadia Lake, a popular swimming and boating spot in Edmond, just north of Oklahoma City, said Edmond police spokesperson Emily Ward.
Jeremiah Braxton estimated 250 people showed up at the party. He said the trouble began when a group of girls started arguing over boyfriends. “It just started a whole bunch of chaos,” he said.
“Everybody got scared, dudes was panicking, women was panicking, people seeing their friends fight,” Braxton said.
The 18-year-old said he heard shots ring out in different directions for several minutes as he ran toward the lake. Those hit included two of his friends, he added.
At least 18 people were treated at hospitals in the Oklahoma City area. One healthcare system said the victims it treated ranged in age from 16 to 30. It said three people were in critical condition and four were listed as serious.
Police in Edmond said Monday that the party had been promoted across social media, drawing a large crowd of mostly young adults from across the Oklahoma City area.
Edmond Mayor Mark Nash said the shooting took place at a public park where spaces can be reserved for large gatherings. “To our knowledge, there was no reservation through the parks department,” he said.
Nash declined to answer questions about the shooting, saying police were handling the investigation.
“We’re already taking steps to review and strengthen park operations, permitting processes and security measures,” the mayor said.
Some of those injured were transported for medical attention while others sought treatment on their own, authorities said.
Integris Health said it treated 13 people at its hospitals in Edmond and Oklahoma City. Seven remained in Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, including three in critical condition.
OU Health said it received five people at its trauma center but didn’t elaborate.
While police did not provide more details about the party, a flyer circulated on social media after the shooting suggested that an event called Sunday Funday was scheduled at a pavilion near the lake until midnight.
It advertised food, drinks, music and “good vibes, good people.”
Arcadia Lake is dotted with picnic pavilions, campgrounds, a fishing pier, and swimming beaches. Built in the 1980s for outdoor recreation and flood control, the lake also provides water to the city of Edmond, a suburb of about 100,000 residents.
Forty years ago, Edmond was the site of one of the deadliest workplace shootings in U.S. history. On Aug. 20, 1986, postal worker Patrick Sherrill shot 20 co-workers, killing 14 of them. He then killed himself.
Over the weekend, another shooting at a party in the Texas Panhandle left two teens dead and 10 other people wounded. Police in Amarillo said two persons opened fire at an apartment complex early Saturday.
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This story was first published on May. 4. It was updated on May 5 to correct the last name of Jeremiah Braxton, who was erroneously referred to as Jeremiah Smith
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Associated Press reporters Jamie Stengle in Dallas, Corey Williams in Detroit, Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.