10 March 2024 , 17:04
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Three people have been killed and several others injured after a shooting at a private party in Arkansas, US.
Officers found multiple gunshot victims when they arrived at the scene near Jonesboro's downtown area in the early hours of this morning, Jonesboro police said in a Facebook post. Jonesboro is about 70 miles (209 kilometres) northeast of Little Rock in Arkansas.
A man and woman, who police said were known to the shooter, were killed, police said. The shooter also died. Another woman, who police say was also an acquaintance of the shooter, was injured in the attacks.
Three other people who had no relationship to the shooter were injured. Police have not said what may have led to the shooting, or provided updates on the people who were taken to the hospital. Police officers and first responders were called to the 600 block of Burke Avenue at around 5am. Police Chief Rick Elliott said the shooting was the result of a domestic case.
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Officers found multiple gunshot victims when they arrived at the scene near Jonesboro's downtown area around 5 a.m. this morning (Getty Images)The Jonesboro Police Department said in an 11am update today: “One woman, who was known to the suspect, was wounded. Another woman and man, also known by the suspect, were shot and killed.
"The suspect was later identified as the third person, who is also deceased, Three other victims were wounded and had no known connection to the suspect." Neither the suspect nor the victims have been identified. Burke Avenue has been closed after the triple homicide as police investigate.
A journalist who was at the scene this morning, Maddie Sexton, posted on X, formerly Twitter: "UPDATE: The early morning Jonesboro shooting has been deemed a domestic case, according to Police Chief Rick Elliott.
"He said seven people were shot in total. Three people are dead, two died at the scene and one died at the hospital."
Police believe there is no ongoing threat to the local community. An investigation is continuing.
The state of Arkansas has the 15th highest rate of gun violence in the US, according to research from Everytown. In an average year in the state, 631 people die and 823 are injured by guns. The rate of gun deaths increased by 40 per cent between 2012 and 2021, compared with a national average increase of 39 per cent.
It comes after one person died and 22 people were injured in a mass shooting during a Kansas City Chiefs parade last month. The shooting was the result of a "personal dispute" between several people in the crowd that ended in gunfire and was not related to terrorism, police said.
Two of the three suspects arrested were juveniles, according to the police. Eight of the victims hospitalised were in critical condition, and seven of them in serious condition. It's also believed several children were shot. Two suspects are now in custody. Elizabeth Galvan, 43, a radio DJ, was killed in the shooting.