The fact was aggravated by the desperate escape from the place of parishioners aboard vehicles that ran over passers-by.
“We can confirm 14 shooting victims and three others who were hit by vehicles trying to flee the scene,” Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy told reporters.
“Three deaths have been confirmed, two of which are related to gunshot wounds and one to injuries sustained after being hit by a vehicle,” Murphy added, according to the AFP news agency.
The incident came just a week after six people were injured in another shooting in the city.
The police believe that it is an isolated unpremeditated incident, according to the ANSA agency.
Murphy said at least one minor was among those injured and several victims remained in critical condition.
He said there was “definitely more than one shooter” involved in the incident, which took place near Mary’s Bar and Grill restaurant in downtown Chattanooga, a city of 180,000.
The incident came just hours after another mass shooting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, left three dead and 11 injured.
Police say gunmen opened fire on a crowded Philadelphia street.
“We know that 14 people were shot and taken to hospitals,” said Philadelphia Police Inspector DF Pace.
“Three of those people, two men and one woman, were pronounced dead after arriving at hospitals with multiple gunshot wounds,” it added.
Pace said officers at the scene “observed multiple active shooters opening fire on people” in the South Street area of Philadelphia.
He stressed that “numerous” agents were already there when the first shots were heard.
Pace maintained that such surveillance is common for that area on summer weekend nights.
An officer fired at one of the shooters, who dropped his gun and fled, though it was unclear if he was hit, he added.
The official said that two semi-automatic weapons and a high-capacity charger were found at the scene.
Until this noon no one had been arrested for either case.
Since the May 24 shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas, that left 21 dead, there have been more than two dozen multiple-victim attacks in the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
In the United States, 393 million guns – more than the population – were in circulation in 2020.
President Joe Biden on Thursday called on Congress to find a way to ban the sale of assault rifles to individuals or at least raise the age to buy them from 18 to 21.
Source: Ambito
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
