BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. – A shooting occurred at a May Day party in Alabama resulting in the deaths of three people while 15 others were injured, authorities said.
The bloodshed occurred at the party attended by about 1,000 people in a field in Stockton, Alabama, Saturday night, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office said late Sunday. At least 18 people were shot, including three who were killed, officials confirmed.
The age range of the victims was from 13- to 60-years-old, though a majority of the wounded individuals were “younger people,” Captain Andre Reid told WALA-TV
The sheriff’s office provided the following information in a news release:
On Saturday, May 11, 2024, at approximately 9:30 p.m., deputies with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of gunshots in the Stockton Community. Our preliminary investigation has revealed that local residents hosted a May Day event yesterday in an open field on Upper Bryant’s Landing Road. We estimated that there were approximately 1,000 people attending this gathering.
According to witnesses, the event was peaceful until an argument took place, which led to at least one subject shooting multiple rounds into the large crowd. A total of eighteen people were shot during this incident. Unfortunately, three of the victims succumbed to their wounds. We do believe that there may have been more shooters, and we are following up on those leads.
After the initial response, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office requested the assistance of the Baldwin County Major Crimes Unit (BCMCU) to investigate this incident.
Law enforcement authorities reportedly have identified one suspect, but believe there was also another shooter. However, witnesses were apparently non-cooperative with investigators and no arrests have been made.
“This is a tragic event that touches many lives in our community. We are working very hard to bring this case to a resolution, but we cannot make arrests or successfully prosecute the offenders without help,” BCSO said in another statement.
According to WALA, two of the three deceased victims were identified as Chiquita Ewing, 34, and 24-year-old Christian Bradley.
Stockton, Alabama has a population of about 400 residents and is roughly 30 miles northeast of Mobile, Alabama, the New York Post reported.