One person was killed and seven others injured from a shooting at Tulsa’s Juneteenth festival in Greenwood.
Tulsa police say gunshots erupted in the crowd at 11 p.m., prompting people to run in multiple directions.
A 22-year-old man was killed under the I-244 overpass, and seven others ranging from 17 to an elderly woman were hit by gunfire. Among them is a 24-year-old man in critical condition, according to a police statement.
“Several individuals we interviewed were unwilling to provide much information about the shooters, and others were unsure where the shots had originated,” police said in a statement Sunday morning. “At this time, we believe there were at least two different shooters, and it remains unclear who the intended targets were.”
Police say first responders were eventually able to “stabilize the downtown area” after multiple people fled to the Blue Dome District.
This shooting follows two others near the downtown area in recent weeks. A shooting early Thursday morning injured four people near Cry Baby Hill after police earlier broke up two large hangouts of teens and young adults nearby.
Police shot two men, killing one of them, on May 4 following a fight that escalated into gunfire at Second Street and Elgin Avenue.
Mayor Monroe Nichols said Sunday morning that the shootings “are showing a pattern of brazen lawlessness by individuals who don’t respect the lives of others or the authority of those tasked to keep people safe.
“I have directed our police chief and public safety team to intensify their efforts downtown and across the city,” Nichols said in his statement. “At the same time, we’re investing in long-term strategies to address the root causes of violence through youth outreach and community-based violence intervention. I will also be announcing new measures tomorrow on how we will be taking back our city from this harm.”
Nichols will give remarks with Public Safety Commissioner Laurel Roberts, Police Chief Dennis Larsen and City Councilor Karen Gilbert at 2:30 p.m. Monday at Tulsa City Hall.
