Texas authorities investigated an after-prom party shooting that resulted in the injury of nine teenagers who were shot.
Despite the horrific incident, officials said that none of the victims' wounds were considered to be life-threatening. The shooting occurred shortly after midnight on Sunday when teenagers were at a residence on County Road 263, just north of Jasper, Texas, for an after-prom party.
Texas After-Prom Party Shooting
In a statement released on Sunday, Apr. 24, the Jasper County Sheriff's Office said that the investigation into the matter was still ongoing and they were already questioning people of interest. Deputies responded to the incident after receiving reports of gunshots.
The majority of the victims of the shooting were later transported to Jasper Memorial Hospital, while others were sent to Christus St. Elizabeth in Beaumont, Texas, to receive further treatment, said authorities, as per ABC News.
In a statement, the Jasper School District said they were extending their prayers to the victims and their families following the shooting incident. It added that Jasper ISD was already working with law enforcement agencies to assist in the investigations seeking to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Officials noted that they expect a much larger law enforcement presence later this week to ensure students are safe and to have counselors on hand for any individuals who need their assistance.
Jasper is a city in Texas with a population of roughly 6,800 people and is found in the Deep East Texas subregion 40 miles west of the Texas-Louisiana state line. The latest incident comes from a series of high-profile mass shootings in the United States.
Rising Threat of Gun Violence
A Sweet 16 birthday party last weekend in Dadeville, Alabama, experienced a shooting that resulted in four dead and 32 others wounded. On Friday, Apr. 21, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said that it made its sixth arrest in the case where the suspects' ages range from 15 to 20, according to Fox News.
The situation comes as many Republican lawmakers, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former United States President Donald Trump, have blamed Democrats for the rising cases of gun violence in the country.
However, despite claims by some GOP officials that New York is a very dangerous region for people due to gun violence, some Republican-led states were found to have higher per capita firearm death rates, which include homicides and suicides, that are three to four times higher than the Big Apple.
On a regional basis, this situation is also seen to be true for the southern parts of the United States, in cities and rural areas where Republicans have dominated state governments for decades. In these areas, data show that the rate of deadly gun violence is most acute, said Politico.
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