An exchange of gunfire in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, that occurred on Saturday evening left at least six people injured.
Chattanooga Police officers were reportedly patrolling the downtown area at about 10:48 p.m. local time when they "observed multiple parties exchanging gunfire and numerous people fleeing the area" near 100 Cherry St.
Speaking about the incident, a police spokesperson said,
"Our officers began rendering aid to the victims as well as assisting others to safety. They were able to detain at least one person of interest in the incident in the moments after the shooting began."
Officers stated that "several" gunshot victims were transported to a local hospital. While the extent of their injuries could not immediately be determined, two of the victims sustained life-threatening injuries, police said. They further revealed that the victims were in their teens or early 20s.
A police spokesperson had this to say:
"We had large groups of juveniles walking around the downtown area on this date and we believe it was from within that group that the shooting took place."
The shooting reportedly occurred near a pizza restaurant called Mellow Mushroom in the downtown area of Chattanooga.
Officers are encouraging residents to avoid traveling to the area amid the ongoing investigation.
The Chattanooga shooting: The rising gun violence in the U.S. is concerning
The U.S. gun problem has been the focus of debate for several years now. As per reports, in 2020, more than 45,000 Americans died from being shot, whether by homicide or suicide. That is a 25 percent increase from five years prior and a 43 percent increase from 2010.
Meanwhile, there is yet more data stating that nearly 53 people are killed each day by a firearm in the U.S.
A report by Amnesty International also mentions how gun violence is particularly prevalent in the United States of America. This can be attributed to easy access to firearms, weak regulation, or poor implementation of laws designed to combat firearms violence.
While there has been a growing demand for stricter gun laws, it is more complicated to follow through with this demand. This issue is quite political and involves gun control advocates going against those who believe in their constitutional right to bear arms.
People are expressing their disappointment and rage over the Chattanooga shooting as it comes in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting. This one is considered to have been the second deadliest school shooting, which claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers.