Late Saturday night, a heated argument between two women in Savannah, Georgia, escalated into a mass shooting that left eleven people injured. The altercation, which originated in an undisclosed location, spilled into Ellis Square in Savannah’s historic district just before the stroke of midnight, as reported by Police Chief Lenny Gunther. Among the injured, ten were victims of gunfire.
During a press briefing, Chief Gunther detailed how a single gunshot triggered a domino effect, leading multiple individuals to open fire. This resulted in several innocent bystanders being caught in the crossfire. The victims, whose identities have been kept confidential, range in age from 20 to 38 years. Local law enforcement, as reported by WTOC, does not believe the incident to be gang-related.
However, the Ellis Square shooting was not an isolated incident. It was one of five shootings that occurred in Savannah over the weekend. Two of these incidents resulted in fatalities, while the remaining three resulted in non-life-threatening injuries. Highlighting the frequency of such occurrences, another shooting at a Savannah intersection on the same night claimed the life of a man and left a juvenile injured.
Mayor Van Johnson addressed the recent spike in gun-related violence in the city, attributing it to the widespread availability of firearms. He underscored the urgent need for sensible gun control laws and the importance of responsible gun ownership. Johnson urged firearm owners to secure their weapons to prevent theft and emphasized the importance of understanding the appropriate use of firearms.
Investigations into the mass shooting at Ellis Square are ongoing, with authorities working to determine the cause of the eleventh injury. Some victims were treated at the scene, while others were transported to local hospitals. Thankfully, all those injured in the shooting are expected to make a full recovery.