Police said no arrests had been announced Monday as investigators searched for suspects.
EDMOND, Okla. — Authorities searched Monday for suspects after gunfire erupted at an unpermitted lakeside party near Arcadia Lake, injuring at least 23 people and sending victims to hospitals across the Oklahoma City metro area, police and hospital officials said.
The shooting turned a Sunday night gathering near Scissortail Campground into one of Edmond’s largest emergency scenes in recent years. Police said the party began after dark, was promoted on social media and drew young adults from across the metro area. No arrests had been announced by Monday evening, and investigators had not released suspect names or a confirmed motive. Officials said several victims remained hospitalized, including people in critical or serious condition.
Edmond police said officers were called just after 9 p.m. Sunday to the Arcadia Lake area near Scissortail Campground after several 911 callers reported shots fired. Officers arrived to find people injured near a pavilion and others fleeing through the park. Edmond police spokesperson Emily Ward said Sunday night that officers knew the shooting had frightened the community. “This is obviously a very terrifying situation,” Ward said, adding that police were working to identify the people responsible. Edmond officers were joined by Oklahoma City police, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and Edmond fire crews as ambulances moved victims from the lake area to hospitals.
Police said about 23 people had been identified with injuries ranging in severity, including gunshot wounds. Officials had not said how many were struck by bullets or how many may have been hurt while running from the scene. Integris Health said it treated 13 patients at hospitals in Edmond and Oklahoma City, with victims ranging in age from 16 to 30. Ten were taken to Integris Health Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City and three were taken to Integris Health Edmond. By Monday, seven remained at Baptist, including three in critical condition. OU Health said it received five patients at its trauma center but did not release their conditions.
The number of known victims rose Monday as more people sought medical treatment after leaving the lake. Police said some injured people were transported from the scene by emergency crews, while others later arrived at hospitals on their own. The names of the injured had not been released. Edmond Public Schools and Oklahoma City Public Schools said they had not received reports of students being among the injured. Police said the gathering was not permitted or reserved through the city, and they said there was no reason to believe there was an ongoing threat to the public.
Witness accounts described confusion, panic and a crowd that scattered after shots rang out. Jeremiah Smith, 18, estimated about 250 people were at the party and said an argument broke out before the gunfire. “It just started a whole bunch of chaos,” Smith said. He said people ran in different directions as shots came from more than one area. Another witness, Jason Hearn, told a local television station that he heard shouting that sounded at first like a large party. Within about a minute, he said, the shooting started and cars began speeding away from the campground.
Arcadia Lake sits in Edmond, a suburb north of Oklahoma City with about 100,000 residents. The lake is an artificial reservoir used for recreation, flood control and the city’s water supply. Its park areas include campgrounds, picnic pavilions, a fishing pier, swimming beaches and boating sites. A flyer shared on social media after the shooting advertised a “Sunday Funday” event with food, drinks and music scheduled until midnight. Police said the online promotion was part of how the crowd formed, but they had not publicly identified who organized the event.
Mayor Mark A. Nash called the shooting a tragedy and said the city was reviewing park operations, permitting rules and security measures. Nash said Arcadia Lake is a place where families hike, camp, fish and gather, and he said the city wanted to protect that use while the police investigation continues. During a Monday briefing, Nash said officers do not patrol the lake 24 hours a day and that the city was looking at possible changes. He declined to answer some questions about the event, saying investigators were still working the case.
Investigators were reviewing witness statements, hospital reports, dispatch traffic, vehicles, phones, shell casings, video and social media posts tied to the party. Police had not announced charges by Monday evening and said they were not releasing suspect information while detectives followed leads. Radio traffic from the first response described multiple gunshot victims and confusion near a pavilion. One dispatcher said callers were still reporting gunfire while officers and medical crews were moving toward the scene. Police later said the case appeared isolated and not a random threat to the broader community.
The shooting left families searching for relatives late Sunday and early Monday. Police and emergency officials used a Walmart near Interstate 35 and 15th Street in Edmond as a reunification point after the gunfire, and people later returned to the lake to collect belongings left behind in the rush to escape. Some neighbors said the shooting shocked them because the lake is usually known as a busy outdoor area. Others said they saw bullet holes at the pavilion and heavy police activity around the campground entrance.
By Monday evening, police had identified at least 23 injured people and were still searching for suspects. The next major steps are expected to include confirming how many people were shot, matching hospital reports with evidence from the park and determining who opened fire.
Author note: Last updated May 4, 2026.