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Police have put out a stern warning as they scour for the “coward” shooters who opened fire in an upstate New York park, killing one and wounding six.
A crowd was barbecuing and “having a good time” near Maplewood Park in Rochester around 6.20 p.m. Sunday when gunfire rang out, authorities said. Rochester police Chief David Smith said the group had been in the park all afternoon enjoying the sunshine, warm weather and eating.
Dozens of people began pouring out of the park as multiple suspects “decided to pull out a gun for whatever reason,” Capt. Greg Bello said in a briefing posted by Rochester First.
Police said an adult in their 20s was shot dead, with one of the wounded suffering life-threatening injuries. Five others suffered relatively minor injuries, officials added.
The identity of the person killed has not been released as their family awaits notification, police said. Survivors were taken to hospital by ambulance and personal vehicles.
Smith gave a fierce warning for those behind the shooting, at a news briefing on Sunday evening, and said: “To the folks who did this, I will be seeing you.”
Investigators from RPD’s Major Crimes Homicide Unit were combing over the scene late Sunday night.
“At this point, we don’t know how many people were shooting,” Bello said, while Smith confirmed that police are looking for multiple suspects.
It is not clear whether the shooters were part of the gathering or came from outside the park. The motivations of the attack remain unknown. Residents described the “pure terror” of the events that unfolded over the weekend.
“Looking out the window, this whole park, which was full of people was then running for their lives. There were people hiding behind cars, jumping my fence, crying. It was pure terror,” one resident told News 8 WROC.
Another added: “We looked out the front window and there were two kids here on our front porch with guns drawn, and then it was kind of like ‘now what?’”
Rochester Mayor Malik Evans called for the “cowards” responsible to be “brought to justice”, according to Local 12.
The Independent has requested more information on the mass shooting from the Rochester police.
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