12 Teens Shot at Macon Birthday Party After Groups Trade Gunfire

Twelve teenagers were shot just after midnight Sunday, Sept. 27, at Carolyn Crayton Park in Macon, Georgia, when two groups pulled guns on each other during an 18th birthday party, the Bibb County Sheriff's Office said. Deputies got the call at 12:06 a.m.

One 18-year-old male and one 17-year-old male were in critical but stable condition, Bibb County Sheriff David Davis said, citing medical staff. The other 10 victims were stable.

No arrests had been made as of Sunday evening. Investigators said they have people of interest but have not established a motive, and the investigation remains active.

Davis called the shooting "a horrific situation" in the community and said investigators were working tirelessly. He told reporters he "can't remember the last time" that many people had been shot at one time in the county.

The party got thrown out of an Airbnb first

The gathering was a birthday celebration for a young woman turning 18. Organizers had rented an Airbnb in neighboring Jones County, but the property owner told the group to leave after becoming concerned about their behavior and getting information that firearms were at the house.

That happened several hours before the shooting, Davis said. The group relocated to the park and set up near the skatepark area, where dozens of people were gathered when a second group showed up across the street.

Thirty seconds of gunfire on park cameras

"Both groups exchanged words, brandished firearms and then began firing at each other," Davis said at a news conference.

Surveillance video from the park captured the shooting. The gunfire lasted about 30 seconds as people ran from the area. Investigators said several firearms were involved and that they recovered numerous spent shell casings from the scene.

The wounded arrived at the hospital in private cars

Deputies were still driving to the park when emergency notifications told them victims were already showing up at a local medical facility. Friends and family had loaded them into personal vehicles and driven them there.

A large number of vehicles, plus relatives and friends of the victims, flooded the area around the facility. Hospital staff taped off the area and put the emergency room on lockdown as patients came in.

Seven vehicles towed, 10 witnesses interviewed

Deputies took seven vehicles to the crime lab for examination. Four of them were the cars used to rush victims to the hospital. The other three were left behind at the park.

Investigators also brought 10 witnesses to the Criminal Investigation Division for interviews, the sheriff's office said. Some of them were teenagers.

Davis says none of the wounded were shooting

"There's no indication that any of these individuals who were injured at this time participated in the gunfire," Davis said. Everyone hit, he said, was part of the birthday crowd.

The sheriff also signaled that the case is moving. "There's going to be some heavy police presences in some places coming up over the next few days as we make some arrests in this," he said. Investigators have not named a suspect or released who fired first.

Why the count went from 11 to 12

The first numbers out of the sheriff's office listed 11 victims: four 18-year-old men, five 17-year-old boys and two 18-year-old women.

A 19-year-old male turned up at the hospital Sunday afternoon, hours after the shooting, and that pushed the total to 12. Ages of the wounded run from 17 to 19.

Three Northeast football players are among the injured

The group at the park included students from Central High School and Northeast High School, Davis said. He said three Northeast football players were among those shot.

Authorities believe the people involved on both sides are from Macon or elsewhere in Middle Georgia. Investigators were still working to figure out how the two groups knew each other and what set off the argument.

Investigators are looking at a shooting on Anthony Road

Investigators are examining information that suggests some of the individuals involved may be connected to earlier shootings. One of those is a shooting on Anthony Road that injured five people on Sept. 23.

Treyvon Antwan Deshazier, 20, was arrested in connection with the Anthony Road shooting. Authorities have not said that the two cases are linked, only that the possibility is being looked at.

Federal agencies are involved, but the sheriff calls it local

The FBI is assisting because of the number of people involved. Davis said all the evidence so far indicates the incident is local.

The sheriff's office is also in contact with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation about help with the case.

A high school reunion had wrapped up two hours earlier

A separate event had the park that night. A permitted high school reunion ended around 10 p.m. Saturday, and investigators believe those guests were gone before the birthday crowd arrived and before any shots were fired.

The birthday group set up near the skatepark after that. Roughly two hours later, deputies were responding to reports of gunfire at a large gathering.

Macon residents say the park is a daily stop

Carolyn Crayton Park sits in a city about 85 miles southeast of Atlanta, and the skate park is a regular hangout. "That's horrible. I bring my kids here almost every day to skate and hang out," Macon resident Rusty Epps said.

Tony Arnold, another Macon resident, said the news itself did not catch him off guard. "To be honest with you, I wasn't very surprised with all the shootings that have been happening around Macon lately, so I wasn't shocked," he said. The location was the part that stood out to people who use the park.

Arnold said responsibility does not stop with whoever pulled a trigger. "I would say it all starts at home, in my opinion, so I think it falls back on the parents to know where your kids are at all times," he said. He also said the city needs to curtail the violence that has been going on lately.

Park regulars said patrols are thin. "Drive through every once in a while and scope it out; we are out here every day and never see an officer ride through," one resident said.

What investigators have not said yet

The sheriff's office has not identified any suspects and has not made an arrest. It has not disclosed what the argument between the two groups was about, and it has not released the names of anyone involved or said which group fired first.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Bibb County Sheriff's Office at 478-751-7500. Tips can be submitted anonymously to Macon Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-877-68CRIME.

Where the case stands

Deputies have video of the shooting, seven impounded vehicles at the crime lab, 10 interviewed witnesses and a pile of shell casings. They have people of interest and no motive.

Two of the wounded, an 18-year-old and a 17-year-old, remain in critical but stable condition. Ten others are stable. The sheriff has said arrests are coming, and that residents should expect to see a lot more deputies around Macon while that happens.