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Senior skip day event marred by gun violence in Greenbelt
Five teenagers are in the hospital after a shooting in Prince George's County Friday afternoon. Police say hundreds of kids gathered for a senior skip day in the park when officers heard several gunshots. FOX 5's Nana-Sentuo Bonsu has the latest from Greenbelt.
PRINCE GEOREGE'S COUNTY, Md. - Five teenagers were shot at Schrom Hills Park in Greenbelt, Maryland, on Friday after hundreds of students gathered earlier in the afternoon for a senior skip day water gun fight.
Greenbelt Police Chief Richard Bowers stated that there were at least 500 to 600 high schoolers present when officers arrived at the park.
Due to the significant number of people, the Maryland State Police Department dispatched reinforcements to the area to assist in dispersing the crowd and managing traffic on nearby streets.
Chief Bowers noted that shortly after the officers arrived, just before 3:00 p.m., they heard 8 to 10 gunshots.
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Authorities share details about senior skip day shooting in Greenbelt that left 5 teens injured
Shots rang out at a Greenbelt park Thursday, and authorities say 5 teens were shot. Greenbelt Police Chief Richard Bowers said there were at least 5-600 high schoolers when officers arrived at the park where the shooting happened.
Five teens, aged between 16 and 18, were discovered suffering from gunshot wounds. Detectives currently believe the suspect fled the park as the large group ran off onto Hanover Parkway.
Bowers reported that one of the injured teens is in critical condition, while the others are currently in stable condition and undergoing treatment at local hospitals.
Detectives are urging students who attended the event, which was promoted on social media, to reach out with any information regarding the shooting.
"This is a horrible, tragic, senseless act that occurred today," Bowers said. "There is absolutely no justification for this incident. To have something like this happen is madness... This involved high school students. It was unnecessary and unacceptable. We must unite to prevent such occurrences in the future."
This is a developing story. Stay with FOX 5 for updates and more information.