Nine people, a mix of teens from Jasper and Newton, were wounded and sent to local hospitals for treatment after a mass shooting at an after-prom party in Jasper, Texas, early Sunday morning.
When deputies arrived at the property hosting the party, they discovered the nine young victims and transferred them to medical centers for care. Jasper Independent School District Superintendent John Seybold released a statement in response to the shooting, saying that the district was cooperating with local law enforcement and that extra security measures would be taken this week to protect students.
Jasper County Sheriff Mitchel Newman affirmed that all victims were teens from local areas and that though the sheriff’s office was currently questioning persons of interest, no arrests had been made by noon on Sunday.
Adding to the mayhem, Jasper Police Lieutenant Garret Foster reported that officers heard shots being discharged nearby while attending to those wounded at Jasper Memorial Hospital; However, the officers did not observe anyone firing. According to Foster, a few houses and vehicles were shot earlier in the morning.
Officials believe the second incident, involving two men shooting guns at each other, is unconnected to the initial shooting and was heard by locals as around a dozen gunshots. The sheriff’s office ceased the gunmen but did not make any arrests.
The city of Jasper is situated in eastern Texas, with a population of nearly 8,500. The investigation of the responsible parties for the after-prom shooting is still underway. The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office is actively working to apprehend them and keep Jasper’s students safe.