An early morning shooting in Trenton, New Jersey, has left 20 people injured.
ABC affiliate WPVI reports that multiple suspects began shooting up the Art All Night Trenton 2018 festival, a 24-hour art and music event being held in the Roebling Wire Works Building, around 2:45 a.m. Around 1,000 people were said to be at the event at the time of the shooting.
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Attendee Angelo Nicolo told the outlet that gunfire suddenly erupted and a panic ensued.
“And all of a sudden, my brother goes to me, ‘You hear that gunfire?’” Nicolo recounted. “I go, ‘It sounds like fireworks.’ He said, ‘No, that’s gunfire.’ Next thing you know, we turn around and everybody’s running down the street. All hell broke loose.”
Two suspects have been identified by police. One of them was killed during the attack, presumably by officers. He has been described as a 33-year-old male. The second alleged gunman has been apprehended by police. Their names have not been released.
“Multiple weapons have been recovered,” prosecutor Angelo Onofri told media. “Twenty individuals were treated for a variety of gunshot wounds as well as other injuries.”
Of the 20 injured in the incident, police say 16 of those were from gunshots. Names of victims have not yet been released, but one of the victims has been identified as a 13-year-old male in critical condition.
Nicolo described seeing on victim, who suffered a gunshot wound in the leg, being aided by police.
“I saw two police officers escort a guy that got shot in the leg; they bandaged him up and whisked him away before the ambulance came here,” he said. “It was pretty gnarly.”
Police say they are still questioning witnesses and there may be more suspects identified as the investigation continues.
The rest of the event was slated to run until 3 p.m. on Sunday, but all remaining activities have been cancelled. Art All Night organizers issued a statement on Facebook announcing the cancellation, sharing their sympathies and informing followers that none of the injured where staff members, volunteers, artists or musicians.
“It’s with great regret that we announce that the remainder of Art All Night has been cancelled due to a tragic incident that occurred overnight,” they wrote. “We’re still processing much of this and we don’t have many answers at this time but please know that our staff, our volunteers, our artists and musicians all seem to be healthy and accounted for. Our sincere, heartfelt sympathies are with those who were injured.”
The organizers revealed that they, like everyone else, are still waiting for more information on what exactly transpired. They also reiterated their sympathies, saying they are “shocked” and “saddened” that such a crime occurred at their event.
“We know there are a lot of questions and a lot of speculation at this point,” they wrote. “We’re still trying ourselves to piece this entire situation together. What we do know is that we are currently unable to release any submitted artwork that is currently inside the Roebling Wire Works building. That being said, we promise you we’ll be in touch as soon as we have more questions we information on this. We truly appreciate your understanding and patience during this incredibly difficult and confusing situation.”
They continued, “We’re very shocked. We’re deeply saddened. Our hearts ache and our eyes are blurry but our dedication and resolve to building a better Trenton through community, creativity and inspiration will never fade. Not tonight. Not ever.”
No other information on the shooting is available at this time.
