Two people were killed and nearly 30 others injured after gunfire broke out at a large homecoming party in the southern US state of Georgia early Sunday, authorities said.
Dooly County Sheriff Craig Peavy identified those killed as Jaquevion Jackson, 21, of Cordele, and Macaleb Jackson, 23, of Hawkinsville. He did not say whether the two were related.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey said some of the injured suffered gunshot wounds but could not confirm how many.
“We're still trying to work through that,” Hosey said at a news conference Sunday evening.
No arrests had been announced several hours after the shooting, and authorities had not identified a possible motive.
The injured, aged between 14 and 51, were taken to several hospitals in the region. Some remained in critical condition while others were stable, Peavy said.
More than 1,000 people were attending the event when more than 50 shots were fired at at least two locations about a block apart, Peavy told WMAZ-TV.
Vienna, a small rural community, is about 210 kilometres south of Atlanta.
Deputies were near the area when the shooting began, Peavy said. After they arrived, additional gunfire broke out about a block away.
The shooting occurred during homecoming weekend for Dooly County High School but was not a school-sponsored event, school superintendent Sherrod Willaford said.
“We recognise that its impact may reach many of our students, families, and staff,” he said in a statement.
Schools were scheduled to reopen Monday with additional safety measures in place, although officials did not provide details.
Ashley Gee, 30, who travelled from nearby Turner County to attend the party, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she heard repeated bursts of gunfire before people began running.
“Like a machine gun,” she said.
The party reportedly attracted people from several surrounding counties after a local high school football team's homecoming victory Friday night.
Peavy said celebrations began Friday and remained peaceful as deputies patrolled the area. Saturday night's gathering, however, became much more difficult to control because of the large crowd.
Dooly County Coroner Brett Walls said the two victims were pronounced dead at the scene from gunshot wounds. He described the scene as “horrific” and said several others were shot, while about a dozen people were injured while trying to escape.
“This doesn't — it's not supposed to — happen in a small town like that,” Walls told the newspaper.
Authorities have not said whether suspects have been identified or whether anyone is in custody. Investigators are continuing to search for suspects and determine a motive.
Vienna Mayor Eddie Daniels said the shooting occurred about a block from his home. He said he saw numerous police vehicles but had not yet received details from investigators.
Daniels also said the city had not issued a permit for the block party and that he did not know whether it was officially connected to the high school's homecoming.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Lydia Bullard declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.