A late-night gathering in Yuma, Arizona turned tragic on Saturday as a shooting incident left two young men dead and five others injured. As of Sunday, law enforcement officials were still in pursuit of the unidentified perpetrator or perpetrators responsible for this devastating act of violence.
The horrific event unfolded just before 11 p.m. in a quiet residential area southeast of downtown Yuma, according to Yuma Police Department’s Lt. Craig Johnson. On arriving at the scene, responding officers found multiple individuals with gunshot wounds.
In a stroke of happenstance, several off-duty law enforcement officers were nearby when the shooting took place. They promptly rushed to lend their assistance, according to a police statement issued on Sunday.
Among the victims was a 19-year-old male, who had been critically injured and was transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center in a private vehicle before the police could arrive. Unfortunately, his injuries proved fatal.
Another young man, aged 20, was discovered at the scene with gunshot wounds. Despite being promptly transported to the Yuma Regional Medical Center by the Yuma Fire Department, his wounds were too severe, and he also succumbed to his injuries.
A 16-year-old boy was among the injured, suffering life-threatening wounds. After initial treatment at the Yuma Regional Medical Center, he was airlifted to a trauma center in Phoenix, located over 200 miles away.
Four additional victims, all teenagers aged between 15 and 19, were being cared for at Yuma Regional Medical Center for injuries deemed non-life-threatening.
Authorities are offering a reward of $1,000 for any information leading to an arrest. Despite the lack of suspects in custody, Lt. Johnson assured the community that there were no credible ongoing threats.