6 hospitalized following shooting at concert in Oregon
Police are investigating the shooting which left one person in critical condition
Six people were hospitalized on Friday following a mass shooting during a concert in Eugene, Oregon.
According to Eugene police, the shooting occurred in the parking lot outside WOW Hall around 9:30 p.m., where musicians Lil Bean, Zay Bang, Savelle Tha Native and others were slated to perform.
“What law enforcement found when they came on scene is what you would exactly expect when six people just got shot,” said Eugene Police Chief Chris Skinner during a press conference on Saturday morning.
The shooting left one victim in critical condition, with the other five in stable condition, according to a statement posted on the department’s website.
“People are just trying to get out of here, their friends are on the ground, they’re trying to help,” Skinner continued.
On Sunday, the WOW Hall Board of Directors issued a statement on their website sending their condolences to the victims.
“We are shocked and saddened by the shooting that occurred outside our building on Friday, January 14th,” the statement started.
“Our deepest sympathies are with the victims of this horrific event. We are taking immediate steps to focus our energies on supporting our staff, volunteers, patrons, members, and community-at-large, many of whom have expressed concern and grief.”
They also confirmed that none of the victims were WOW staff or employees.
Rapper Savelle The Native, who was scheduled to perform the night of the shooting, took to his Instagram to address the tragedy.
“Sad that this happened as we as a community are starting gain traction in the hip hop scene,” said the rapper, who is from Eugene.
“A few things could have changed the whole course of last night, security being the main focus. I’m a make it a point to frontline any and all spaces I can about security and flow of show,” he said, adding that he is safe but in need of “some mental space” after the shooting.
The FBI has joined Eugene Police to assist in the investigation. Police have yet to identify a motive for the shooting.
Police say the shooter may be a man that took off running after firing into the crowd.
“All we know at this point is we have a male in a hoodie that was seen running westbound on 8th right after the shooting. We think that’s our suspect,” said Skinner.
When officers arrived on the scene, Skinner said the crowd was chaotic and numerous witnesses were unwilling to cooperate with law enforcement.
“Early in this investigation … the crowd that was here was difficult to manage. It was hard for us to kind of get control of that scene,” said the police chief. “And there was not anybody that was willing to cooperate or come forward and give us any kind of witness statement about what they may or may not have seen.”
The department posted on their Twitter account on Saturday, asking the public to call them with any tips about the shooting.
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