EDMOND, Okla. — An argument among a group of young women at an unsanctioned lakeside party spiraled into gunfire Sunday night, sending at least 18 people to Oklahoma City-area hospitals and leaving three victims fighting for their lives, authorities said as they pleaded for tips to identify the shooters.
The chaos erupted around 10 p.m. at Arcadia Lake’s Spring Creek Park, where a party promoted on social media as “Sunday Funday” drew a crowd of about 250 mostly young adults from across the metro area. No permit had been issued for the gathering, Edmond Mayor Mark Nash said.
Jeremiah Braxton, 18, told The Associated Press that he was among those who fled toward the lake when the shooting started. “It just started a whole bunch of chaos,” Braxton said. “Everybody got scared, dudes was panicking, women was panicking, people seeing their friends fight.”
He said he heard shots ring out in different directions for several minutes as he ran. Two of his friends were among those struck by gunfire, he added.
Edmond police spokesperson Emily Ward said investigators were still trying to determine how many of the injured had been shot versus injured in the ensuing scramble. She confirmed that at least three people were in critical condition Monday afternoon.
“The shooting broke out Sunday night at a public park near a campground at Arcadia Lake, a popular swimming and boating spot in Edmond, just north of Oklahoma City,” Ward said.
The victims ranged in age from 16 to 30, according to Integris Health, which treated 13 people across its Edmond and Oklahoma City hospitals. Seven people remained hospitalized at Baptist Medical Center, three in critical condition, and four were listed as serious. OU Health’s trauma center received five patients but did not detail their conditions.
Nash, the mayor, said the city was already “taking steps to review and strengthen park operations, permitting processes and security measures.” He declined to comment further, citing the ongoing police investigation.
A flyer that spread on social media after the shooting touted the event as featuring food, drinks, music and “good vibes, good people,” inviting guests to a pavilion near the lake until midnight. Authorities said the gathering was unsanctioned and that no reservation had been made through the parks department.
The shooting was the second outbreak of violence at a party over the weekend. In Amarillo, Texas, two teenagers were killed and 10 others wounded early Saturday when two people opened fire at an apartment complex.
Edmond, a suburb of about 100,000 residents, is still marked by one of the deadliest workplace shootings in U.S. history. On Aug. 20, 1986, postal worker Patrick Sherrill shot 20 co-workers at the Edmond post office, killing 14 before taking his own life.
Police asked anyone with video or information about the Arcadia Lake shooting to contact the Edmond Police Department. No arrests had been made as of Monday night.