9 Texas teens wounded in shooting at after-prom party
Nine teenagers were injured in a shooting at a Texas house hosting an after-prom party — with shots then ringing out in two other locations, including the hospital where the wounded were being treated.
The initial attack in the early hours Sunday came as an estimated 250 people packed a house after the Jasper High School prom ended at midnight, officials said.
The nine wounded — aged between 15 and 19 — were left with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Jasper County Sheriff’s Office.
Officers at the emergency room where the injured teens were being treated said they heard more gunshots outside the hospital, Lieutenant Garrett Foster told KJAS.
At least 15 shots were then heard in a third location, where homes and vehicles were hit by bullets, the local outlet said.
The sheriff’s department confirmed that “there is a possible connection” between the shootings, without elaborating.
“No motive has been established at present,” the force said, while confirming that “several witnesses and persons of interest are being interviewed.”
That includes the occupants of a vehicle that was driving on a highway while riddled with bullets, Jasper County Sheriff Mitchel Newman told KJAS.
The same vehicle appeared to have been spotted near the shot-up prom after-party, the sheriff said. So far there have been no charges.
Jasper Independent School District Superintendent John Seybold, pledged full cooperation with law enforcement “to bring these perpetrators to justice.”
“There will be a much larger law enforcement presence this week to ensure student safety, as well as counselors on hand for any students who need their assistance,” Seybold said in a statement.
The third shooting location was just a block from where a 65-year-old man, Elvin Land, was hit by a bullet while looking out of the window of a house just over a week ago, the local outlet said.
He was in stable condition and it was not clear if there was a connection to Sunday’s attacks.