loading…
TEXAS – Nine teenagers shot on Sunday (23/4/2023) early morning at a school farewell party in Jasper, Texas, United States of America . The incident has further fueled the increased police presence at the city’s high school.
“None of the gunshot wounds were life-threatening,” the Jasper District Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “The victims were taken to two hospitals,” the statement continued, without reporting the number of shooters.
Jasper is a city of about 7,200 people, about 215 km northeast of Houston. “This investigation is ongoing and people of interest are being questioned,” the statement said.
The victims were aged between 15 and 19, reported television news KBMT-KJAC. Jasper High School held its prom, admission rights for American high schools, in the church’s assembly hall on Saturday night, TV news reported.
Jasper Independent School District superintendent John Seybold promised to cooperate fully with any law enforcement investigation “to bring these perpetrators to justice”.
“There will be much greater enforcement this week to ensure student safety, as well as counselors for any students who need their assistance,” Seybold said in a statement as reported by local media.
A week ago, four people were shot dead and 32 injured at an Alabama “Sweet 16” birthday party in the small town of Dadeville. Five suspects have been charged with murder in the shooting.
Firearms have become the leading cause of death for US children and adolescents, surpassing motor vehicle accidents, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last year.
(esn)
