Mass shooting in Rochester, New York; 2 dead, 14 wounded
In a tragic incident, two people were killed in a mass shooting in New York, the United States, the police said. According to the Rochester Police Department, the shooting occurred at a backyard party, leaving two dead and 14 injured. The Rochester interim Police Chief Mark Simmons called it "truly a tragedy of epic proportions." Here are more details.
Shooting occurred on Pennsylvania Avenue around midnight
The police said the incident took place on Pennsylvania Avenue around 12:25 am ET (9:55 am local time). The deceased victims have been identified as a woman and a man, both aged 18-22, however, their names have not been released. The 14 others who were injured were taken to two local hospitals. The police have also not identified a suspect.
Police interviewing witnesses to identify suspect(s)
Simmons said that when the police arrived at the scene, officers saw about 100 people running to and from the location. The police are still interviewing witnesses to gather more information about the suspect(s) and how the shooting started. A witness told ABC News affiliate in Rochester WHAM that the gunfire sounded "like the Vietnam War."
Received no complaints about large gathering in area earlier: Simmons
Simmons said that until the 911 call, the police had not received any complaints about a large gathering in the area. Notably, Rochester has been witnessing nightly protests after a video of a Black man's death in police custody had surfaced. The man, Daniel Prude (41), had died in March after cops pinned him to the ground with a "spit hood" over his head.
Cops restrained Prude until he became unresponsive
Prude—who suffered from mental health problems—had been running naked through the streets in light snow when his brother called the cops to get him help. After the cops arrived, Prude was restrained and pinned to the ground until he became unresponsive, the video showed. He was declared brain dead after being rushed to a hospital. He was taken off life support a week later.
