Police in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, are investigating after seven people were injured in shootings Sunday night that appeared to be related, authorities said.
In a statement early Monday, the Winston-Salem Police Department said officers had responded to gunfire reported at “multiple locations” on Sunday.
“Preliminary information indicates the scenes are all related,” said department public information officer Kira Boyd.
The public information officer said all seven of those injured in the shootings had sustained “non-life threatening injuries.”
“This is an active, ongoing investigation and is not considered to be a random act of violence,” Boyd said.
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Police told NBC News affiliate WXII-TV, which is based in Winston-Salem, that officers had initially been called to the 900th block of Bethlehem Lane at around 7:50 p.m. over multiple reports of shots fired.
When they arrived, officers found more than 50 spent shell casings from different caliber weapons, police said.
While investigating, officers received a report of two gunshot victims in their 30s at a nearby location. Officers located the two victims, who had suffered gunshot wounds to the head and face, WXII-TV reported. Both were transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
While assisting the two victims, officers were then alerted to four more victims who had been shot near the 2000 block of East 25th Street, close to the Prince of Peace Baptist Church, WXII reported. Three people, ages 21, 31 and 31, were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while a fourth refused medical attention.
A seventh victim, age 24, was identified after arriving at a hospital suffering from a gunshot wound to the torso. Police said that victim appeared to have been shot while on the 2000 block of East 25th Street.
Police did not provide details on any potential suspects or on a motive for the shootings.
The violence in the North Carolina city unfolded as the U.S. grappled with a string of mass shootings across the country.
On Sunday, one person was killed and five others were injured in a shooting that unfolded as Asian churchgoers convened at the Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods in Southern California.
In Buffalo, 10 people were killed and three others were wounded at a supermarket on Saturday in mass shooting motivated by racism.
It came a day after a mass shooting in downtown Milwaukee left at least 17 people wounded on Friday night shortly after fans began leaving an NBA playoff game.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
