A mass shooting near a Tennessee nightclub early Sunday led to three deaths and 14 people suffering gunshot wounds and other injuries, police said.
This is the second Tennessee mass shooting in just a week.
Fourteen people were hit by gunfire and three were hit by vehicles while trying to flee the scene, according to Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy. Two people died from gunshot wounds and one person died after being hit by a vehicle. Sixteen of the victims were adults and one was a juvenile and several remained in critical condition, she said.
Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly, who described himself as an “avid hunter” and gun owner, called on Congress to enact “common sense regulations” to address gun violence. Kelly is an independent.
“That doesn’t mean taking guns away from responsible gun owners, but it does mean mandatory background checks and prohibiting high-capacity magazines that allow shooters to hurt dozens of people without even having to reload,” he said at a press conference. Kelly said his administration would announce new steps in the coming weeks aimed at reducing gun violence locally.
Officers responded to a report of a shooting at 2:42 a.m. on McCallie Avenue near a nightclub and found multiple victims upon arrival. Murphy said officers immediately began treating the wounded and securing the scene.
There were multiple shooters and Murphy asked anyone in the community with information about the shooting to come forward. She said police and authorities don’t believe there’s an ongoing public safety threat.
Murphy said it would be a complex investigation going forward.
“We’re trying to determine exactly what happened and what led up to this taking place,” she said.
“It’s going to be a long summer, and we have got to get out in front of it and put a stop to it,” Kelly said.
The chief told reporters the shooting was an “isolated incident” and said there were likely “multiple shooters.”
Murphy said the circumstances of the shooting are still unknown and appealed for the public’s help for information.
“Regardless of how small and insignificant you may think that it is … please reach out to us,” she said.
The identities of the victims and suspects have not been released.
Last weekend, six teenagers were shot in downtown Chattanooga during a confrontation between two large groups. No arrests have been made in this shooting as well.
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