Nine teenagers were shot early on April 23 at an after-prom party in Jasper, Texas, USA; as a result, authorities stated, there will be more police officers on duty at the town’s high school this week.
According to a Facebook post by the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a disturbance on County Road 263 north of Jasper shortly after midnight on Sunday.
“Upon arrival, nine victims were found to have non-life-threatening injuries,” the statement said. “The incident erupted at an after-prom party that was being held at the residence on County Road 263. Most victims were transported to Jasper Memorial Hospital, and some were transferred to Christus St. Elizabeth for further treatment.”
The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing and people of interest are being questioned.
Jasper, a city of about 6,800 people, is located in the Deep East Texas subregion, about 40 miles west of the Texas-Louisiana state line.
This incident comes on the heels of a string of high-profile mass shootings. Last weekend, a Sweet 16 birthday party in rural Dadeville, Alabama, left four dead and 32 others injured.
On Friday, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency announced its sixth arrest in connection to the investigation. The suspects range in age from 15 to 20.
Those killed were two graduating high school seniors, including the football star brother of the birthday girl, as well as a 19-year-old and a 23-year-old former athlete.