Mass shooting at Georgia block party leaves 2 dead, 35 injured

A mass shooting at a neighborhood block party in South Georgia left two people dead and dozens wounded early Sunday morning, according to officials.

More than 1,000 people were gathered as more than 50 shots were fired in at least two locations about a block apart in Vienna, Georgia, according to Dooly County Sheriff Craig Peavy.

Deputies were on patrol at a neighborhood block party around 1:25 a.m. when shots were fired on the 900 block of Pine Street, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. The sheriff’s office had requested the assistance of the GBI.

Two people were pronounced dead at the scene from gunshot wounds. Most of the 35 injured victims suffered gunshot wounds, while several others were hit by cars or suffered other injuries as people fled the scene. The 35 injured victims were transported to hospitals for treatment.

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Peavy said people were “going every direction” and, even as officers were on the scene, more gunfire erupted about a block away.

“We don’t know if it’s coming at us or someone else,” he said at a press conference on Sunday. “You just have to keep doing what you’re doing and hope you don’t get hit by gunfire.”

The GBI said the ages of the injured victims range from 14 to 51 and their conditions range from stable to critical.

The victims killed in the shooting were identified as Jaquevion Jackson, 21, of Cordele, and Macaleb Jackson, 23, of Hawkinsville, the agency said.

The incident happened over homecoming weekend for Dooly County High School.

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The superintendent of the Dooly County School System, Sherrod Willaford, said the shooting was not at a school-sponsored event.

“We recognize that its impact may reach many of our students, families, and staff,” he said in a statement.

Schools will open on Monday but additional safety measures have been implemented.

Vienna Mayor Eddie Daniels said the city had not issued any kind of permit for the block party and he did not know if it was a homecoming party.

Authorities have not arrested any suspects, identified a potential motive or said how many shooters may have been involved.

“Please turn yourself in, because we’re doing everything we can to find out who you are,” Peavy said.

The incident remains under investigation.

Vienna is about 130 miles south of Atlanta and about a 50-mile drive south on the Interstate 75 corridor from Macon, where 12 teenagers were wounded by gunfire during a confrontation at a birthday party last week at a city park.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.