A night of holiday celebration at an annual tree-lighting ceremony in North Carolina turned into chaos when gunfire broke out, injuring four on Nov. 21.
Authorities said the shooting was not a random act of violence and the gunfire was exchanged between two suspects who knew each other and were both critically injured.
The shooting happened at the Christmas tree lighting in Concord, North Carolina, a city of about 115,000 residents in the Charlotte metropolitan area, at about 7:30 p.m. local time, the city and local police said.
Four people were struck by gunfire; three were in critical condition and one was in stable condition the night of Nov. 21, according to the city. Two of the injured victims were 17-year-olds, officials said.
“A night of celebration for our community was interrupted by senseless violence, affecting everyone who was there,” said Concord Police Chief Jimmy Hughes. “Our community showed great strength and resilience as everyone came together to help one another and our officers."
