Tennessee officials confirm that a shooting that took place near a nightclub early Sunday morning (June 5) has left three dead and an additional 14 people wounded.
AP News reports a total of 14 people suffered gunshot wounds, while three others were hit by vehicles as they attempted to flee the scene. Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy says two people died after they were shot and another two people passed away after being struck by a vehicle.
Officers found multiple victims upon arriving to the scene of McCallie Avenue after reports of a shooting. The area is located near a nightclub and officials believe the incident was isolated with no ongoing threat to the public.
Authorities also confirmed that there were multiple shooters and Murphy is urging anyone with information to come forward.
“We’re trying to determine exactly what happened and what led up to this taking place,” said Murphy.
Among the victims was one juvenile. The other 16 were adults. Several still remain in critical condition, per reports.
The tragedy prompted Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly, who described himself as an “avid hunter” and gun owner, to urge Congress to lay down “common sense regulations” in order to combat gun violence.
“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,” said Kelly at a press conference.
With the incident on the heels of a shooting that injured six juveniles in downtown Chattanooga, Kelly says it’s “going to be a long summer.”
“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,” he continued during the conference.
An investigation is currently underway.