A gunman opened fire at a large gathering in Maplewood Park in New York killing a person and injuring six others. The shootout took place in Rochester city in New York State. Reports in local media said that police responded to calls made as the shooting was going on and rushed to the scene at 6:20 pm on Sunday (local time).
At the time of publishing of this story the identity of the shooter was not known. It was also not clear if the police were able to arrest him.
Some of the attendees at the gathering recorded the horrific incident. The shooter was visible in one of them while others captured the mayhem after shooting as people ran for cover. Another video showed a person who was apparently shot. The person lay on ground while the people and policemen surrounding them tried to what appeared to be emergency first aid. It was not immediately clear if this person was injured or had lost life.
One shooter or many?
Although videos taken by those at the gathering showed a lone gunman, police were not ready to confirm if he was the only one. No one was taken into custody in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
Rochester Police Department Captain Greg Bello was quoted in local media as saying that police were still investigating if there were multiple shooters.
The latest incident of mass shootout has come just weeks after an assassination attempt targetting former US president Donald Trump.
Trump had a very narrow escape as the bullet grazed his right ear, missing his head by less than and inch.
USA witnesses highest number of gun related crimes and deaths in the world. Owning a gun is a right enshrined in the US constitution. The gun lobby is politically powerful in the county and any attempt at curbing access to guns is vehemently opposed by US lawmakers supported by the gun lobby.
(With inputs from agencies)
