At least one person is dead and 20 people were wounded including a child after a gunman opened fire at a car show in Arkansas on Saturday evening, according to police. The lone gunman involved in the mass shooting has since been arrested and police are interrogating him.
The incident occurred at around 7:25 pm at the Delta N.E.Y.O. Hood-nic Foundation car show in Dumas, Arkansas, a community of about 4,000 people about 85 miles southeast of the state capital of Little Rock. Victims are being transported to multiple local hospitals as some remain in critical condition, according to the authorities.
Sudden Attack
Police said that "as many as 20" individuals have been injured, with the number is expected to rise after the lone gunman opened fire at the gathering. While the Dumas Police Chief verified that many children had been shot, he was told that they were "doing fine."
"Preliminary information provided to ASP is that as many as 10 people had been wounded by gunfire," the agency said. However, the number was later revised to 20.
The incident occurred in the parking lot of a store named the Mad Butcher in Dumas, according to local emergency management authorities. Following an early report of a shooting outside a local store where the performance was held, Arkansas State Troopers were dispatched to Dumas.
Victims were taken to local hospitals in McGehee and Dumas, with one youngster being flown to the Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock. According to the Desha County Office of Emergency Management, at least two casualties were flown from the parking lot.
Gunman Arrested
Police have launched an investigation into the incident and as of now don't believe there is any terror angle to it. According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, one suspect is currently in jail.
Officers told reporters that they are investigating whether there are more shooters. A spokeswoman for the state police said he couldn't disclose whether there was more than one suspect.
Investigators have since confirmed that at least one person has been killed in the shooting, according to KARK. However, the identity of the victim hasn't been revealed yet.
Police have not yet released any information on any potential suspects nor the details of how the shooting unfolded. An ASP official told the NY Post the department does not anticipate releasing any further information until later Sunday morning.
Several attendees at the festival claimed that small children had been shot, with one even claiming that a newborn had been injured. "Y'all just shot a baby. A mf baby," wrote one person.
A second person in the area also wrote that a baby had been shot.
The event's Facebook page posted just hours after the shooting: "We are heartbroken and in shock at what took place during tonight's car show. Several people were shot by an unknown suspect. The full extent of injuries has not yet been disclosed. State Patrol is currently investigating the situation. We will release more details as they come in. If you know anything, please report it to the authorities. The purpose of Hood-Nic has always been to bring the community together. This senseless violence needs to end. Sending our prayers."
