Two juveniles were sent to the hospital early Thursday evening (September 8) after a shooting in Uvalde, Texas, according to the Uvalde Police Department.
The shooting reportedly happened at Uvalde Memorial Park around 5:30 p.m. CT. The condition of the victims was unknown late Thursday. Uvalde Police said four suspects are in custody and are in questioning.
Authorities are asking anyone who was in the area that may have information, video, or pictures of the shooting to contact them by phone or through social media.
The Texas Department of Public Safety and Uvalde mayor Don McLaughlin stated that the shooting is suspected to be “gang-related.”
“We are working with the Uvalde Police Department and Sheriff’s Office following a suspected gang-related shooting at Memorial Park,” Texas DPS tweeted. “This information is preliminary; as the situation develops, we will work with local law enforcement to provide updates.”
Thursday night’s shooting comes days after the new school year began for students who experienced the deadliest school shooting in Texas history at Robb Elementary School this past May, where a lone gunman killed 19 children and two teachers.
One of the young survivors of the massacre, Aubriella Melchor, was enjoying a day at Uvalde Memorial Park with her family when she found herself again at the center of gun violence. Aubriella’s mother, Celeste Ibarra, told CNN that her daughter, who is now in the fourth grade, suffers from PTSD and depression from the shooting in May.
“A lot of kids were ducking and diving again,” Ibarra said. “It was horrible.”
The park is about a mile and a half from Robb Elementary, which is permanently closed and will be demolished and rebuilt at a later date.
