1 dead, 11 injured in North Carolina house party shooting
June 2 (UPI) -- One person is dead and 11 others are wounded following a shooting that occurred at a house party in Catawba County, according to authorities, who said they are looking for suspects.
The shooting occurred at around 12:45 a.m. local time Sunday at a residence in Mountain View, Catawba County, located about 57 miles northwest of Charlotte.
Law enforcement arrived at the scene following multiple reports of shots fired to find 11 people suffering from gunshot wounds and one person dead at the scene, Maj. Aaron Turk of the Catawba County Sheriff's Office told reporters during a press conference.
The severity of the injuries was not disclosed, but Turk said one of the victims was critically injured and was taken to a hospital in Charlotte. Of the other 10 victims transported to local hospitals, some had been treated and released, Turk said.
He said more than 80 shots were fired in the shooting.
Dozens appeared to have been present at the party, and their ages ranged, including some teenagers.
No arrests have been made, and authorities said they believe more than one shooter, and multiple guns, were involved.
"We are still working to determine when they arrived, how they arrived and what the reasons was for their presence, also the motive," he said.
The shooting occurred less than two hours after police were called to the residence over a noise compliant.
Turk said officers responded to the residence concerning the noise complaint, spoken with individuals at the home regarding the complain and left shortly afterward.
"We don't believe that this was random in a circumstance that might danger the community," Turk said. "All that we can see right now from the crime scene and the leads that we're follow, it seems to be that those that initiated the shooting were focused on the folks at the party."
The FBI said it is aiding in the investigation.
Catawba County Sheriff Donald Brown added in the press conference that this is not a common crime in the region.
"It is frustrating," he said. "This is not a common act or incident that happens here in Catawba County. We live in a great community, and this is something that is extremely rare. Again, I said I talked to some neighbors here -- they are visibly upset. And to our staff that works these types of cases, it's very difficult. It's taxing on them. They've been out here all night."
According to The Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 127 mass shootings involving four or more people shot so far in the United States this year.
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