Authorities reported that two people were killed and 35 others injured following a shooting at a neighborhood block party in southern Georgia on Sunday morning. Of the injured, 25 were transported to local hospitals for treatment.
The incident occurred in the city of Vienna, with shots ringing out around 1:25 a.m. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), sheriff’s deputies heard the gunfire while patrolling the area and responded to reports of multiple casualties on Pine Street.
Dooly County Sheriff Craig Peavy stated that the gathering was a homecoming celebration attended by more than 1,000 people. He estimated that at least 50 shots were fired across two locations approximately one block apart. In addition to gunshot wounds, some victims were struck by vehicles as drivers fled the scene.
Victims were dispersed to several area hospitals. The two individuals who died were discovered several blocks from the origin of the shooting on Pine Street. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, and the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting autopsies.
Dooly County Coroner Brett Walls identified the deceased as two men, aged 20 and 23. No suspects or motives have been released, and the identities of the victims remain private.
The GBI joined the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office investigation, which remains active. Vienna is located roughly 50 miles south of Macon.
Vehicles hitting victims as drivers fled? That’s horrifying. How many of those thirty-five injuries came from the escape attempts rather than the shooter directly?
Thirty-five injured is an unimaginable tragedy. My heart breaks for these families in Vienna during what should have been a joyous homecoming.