Police say seven people were shot early Sunday morning in Rochester.
Officers were called to the area around East Avenue and Union Street at around 12:30 a.m. for reports of large groups of people.
As they responded, police say they heard gunshots ring out, while gunshots were also heard in the area of Broad Street. Officials say over 50 gunshots were fired from multiple weaopns across both incidents. Authroities are still working to determine if both incidents were related.
Police say seven people were injured, but none of the injuries are considered life-threatening. A 16-year-old female was also reported stabbed in the upper body.
The victims range in age from 12 to 40, mostly teenagers.
Officials say the RPD’s drone team spotted two men with guns getting into a car. Police say they followed the car, and officers were able to apprehend them. A search of the car found several weapons, according to police. The two men inside the car are charged with criminal possession of a weapon.
Officers also received reports of another car driving away from the scene with a gun inside. That car was pulled over, and police say a 9-millimeter “ghost gun” was found inside. The 17-year-old driver is charged with criminal possession of a weapon.
“So, one of the big concerns that we have as a police department [that we] have to continue to work on is roving groups of teenagers that are creating mayhem and creating havoc across our city,” said RPD Captain Greg Bello. “And in this case, a 12-year-old ended up getting shot in the lower body. His wound is non-life-threatening, but it begs the big question: if the fireworks ended at 10:30 [and] this occurred at 12:30, why is a 12-year-old still out two hours later, roving downtown with a group of hundreds of kids?”
Police say the investigation is ongoing and there could be more suspects and charges.