22 people are injured, and four in critical condition, after two gunmen opened fired at an all-night arts and music festival in Trenton, New Jersey late Saturday night.
Numerous witnesses said the shooting happened around 2:45 a.m., and everyone immediately began running down the street.
One of the suspects, 33-year-old Tahaij Wells, was shot and killed, “apparently by police,” CBS News reported. The other suspect, 23-year-old Amir Armstrong, was arrested and charged on “weapons offenses,” according to CNN. Prior to the shooting, Wells had just been released from prison on homicide-related charges.
Saturday night’s events were apparently sparked by a “neighborhood beef” between gangs, said Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri. “It absolutely could have been worse given the confined space and the number of shots that appear to have been fired,” he told CNN.
Police are currently investigating the incident, and even looking into the possibility of more suspects being at large.
More: organizers say this was the 12th year of the overnight arts event. There was music, hundreds of pieces of artwork, all of it supposed to raise money for local artists. Trenton Police working to get more info right now @NBCPhiladelphia
— Randy Gyllenhaal (@RandyGyllenhaal) June 17, 2018
The organizers behind the festival — which featured more than 1,500 pieces of local art, live murals and art instructions, and 60 plus musical acts — have since issued a statement on the shooting.
“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,” part of the statement read.
New Jersey’s governor, Phil Murphy, tweeted his devastation about the event. “We must eradicate the scourge of gun violence from our communities,” Murphy added.