Rhode Island Shooting Today: Nine injured, three in critical condition (Pictures)

A shooting incident in Rhode Island has left many people injured and three in critical condition.

Authority says that about nine persons were injured on Thursday night in Rhode Island’s capital in what police believe is the largest shooting in the city’s history.

Of the nine, three suffered serious injuries and “maybe in critical condition,” Providence Police Chief Col. Hugh T. Clements told reporters at the scene.

Clements said multiple weapons were used and that it was a “dispute” involving two groups known to authorities. He added that the shooting began with shots coming from a vehicle, targeting a house. One or more people inside the house returned fire. The police officer described the suspects as “young men.”

The shooting took place shortly before 7 p.m. in a neighbourhood in the southeast of the city, which Clements described as a typically quiet neighbourhood.

They also revealed that the incident involved dozens of shots. Instead, you could see evidence markers showing more than a dozen shell casings scattered on the ground.

So far, the police have not made any arrests. Clements emphasized that the investigation was in its early stages. Detectives were at the hospital interviewing the victims, who are between 19 and 25 years old. No further details were released about their identities.

Clements stated that the police have gone to great lengths to get the guns off the streets and therefore called the shooting “very disappointing.” Suspects and victims “could be the same,” he said, without providing further details.

“There will be names that you might recognize; we certainly know it from police work, “Clements told reporters.

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza also addressed the media at the scene, answering questions in both English and Spanish.

“I spoke to several neighbours and they are all in shock,” he said, adding that he promised additional patrols and neighbourhood security for the next few days.

Prior to this shooting, Providence had reported 19 shooting victims and seven shooting homicide victims in 2021, Clements said.

Elorza also urged city residents to stop using firearm violence to resolve disputes and criticized the immediate availability of weapons.

“This has to end,” Elorza said. ” The young people involved, believing that the way to resolve their disputes is with a gun, I mean, that can’t be the way .”

With information from AP