A shooting at a large birthday party in a neighborhood in Akron, Ohio, left one man dead and more than 20 people injured, according to police.
Detectives believe someone in a vehicle opened fire on partygoers just after midnight and someone at the event may have returned fire, Police Chief Brian Harding said.
“Shortly after these calls came in, the call center received reports from local hospitals that multiple individuals arrived at the emergency room with gunshot wounds,” police said in a statement.
At least 25 people were shot, including a 27-year-old man who has since died. Two pistols and “several dozen shell casings” were recovered, police said.
Police previously said gunfire struck 27 people, including the deceased victim, but some victims may have been counted twice, Harding said.
Harding said at a news conference Sunday evening that at least two of the hospitalized individuals were in critical condition, while several others were admitted for treatment for injuries and some were treated and released.
The victims are between 19 and 43 years old, most in their 30s, he said.
There were no suspects in custody and a motive was not immediately clear.
Police first responded to the home where the party was taking place around 10 p.m. Saturday after receiving reports of crowd noise and fireworks, Harding said.
About 200 people there were ordered to disperse, he said. But by midnight, he said, “the party resumed.”
Soon after, police returned to the home, about 40 miles south of Cleveland, for reports of shots fired.
After the dust settled, it was clear that many bullets had been fired, many from a vehicle, Harding said. “The scene was littered with spent shell casings,” he said.
“Several firearms were used,” Harding said. “One of them turns out to be a gun.”
It was not clear whether gunfire struck anyone in the vehicle believed to have been involved in the attack, he said.
Police hope surveillance video from the area and witnesses who were at the party can help them track down a suspect.
A $12,500 reward, including money pledged by the U.S. Marshals Service and a local Crime Stoppers organization, is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
“We are pleading with the community to come forward,” Harding said.
Callers who contact police with information can remain anonymous, police said.
In a joint statement, Harding and Mayor Shammas Malik said the city is “reeling from the devastation of senseless violence.”
“For those with information about this horrific shooting, we need your voice to prevent further violence and retaliation,” the statement said.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
