A Halloween party in Oklahoma City turned deadly early Saturday morning, leaving one person dead and at least 12 others injured after a heated altercation escalated into a mass shooting. The incident occurred at Patty's Event Center, located in the southwestern part of the city, after a dispute between two groups spiraled out of control.
The Oklahoma City Police Department confirmed that the shooting began around 12:30 a.m. following a "verbal altercation" inside the event center. According to Sgt. Jon Skuta of the Oklahoma City Police, the fight between the two groups spilled outside into the parking lot, where gunfire was exchanged before the confrontation returned to the building.
"Those people then went back into the event center where the shooting continued," Skuta told CNN. The chaos left one person dead and 12 others injured. Of the injured, two individuals are reported to be in critical condition, while the remaining victims are believed to have sustained minor injuries.
Although the identities of those involved have not yet been released, law enforcement officials have detained several suspects for questioning. However, no arrests have been made so far. "We are in the process of interviewing witnesses," police told ABC News. "We will provide more details when we get them."
The deadly incident marks another violent episode in Oklahoma City, which has seen a string of shootings in recent weeks. This latest attack occurred at a popular local venue on the 5800 block of South Agnew Avenue, roughly three miles east of Will Rogers World Airport. Patty's Event Center, a location often used for private parties, became the scene of a terrifying ordeal as shots rang out both inside and outside the building.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of the altercation or the specific events that led to the shooting. The shooter reportedly used a rifle, though it remains unclear how many firearms were involved in the incident. Captain Valerie Littlejohn of the Oklahoma City Police Department told News 9 that investigators believe the shooting was targeted and not a random act of violence. "There is no current threat to the public," she said, adding that the investigation remains active and ongoing.
The tragic event follows another fatal shooting in Oklahoma City just days earlier. Police responded to a crash on North MacArthur Boulevard on Thursday night and discovered that a woman involved in the accident had been shot. Authorities believe the woman, who was found with a firearm, had been firing shots before the collision. The incident resulted in a deadly exchange of gunfire with police officers, all of whom have since been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
The shooting at Patty's Event Center also comes on the heels of two other shootings in Oklahoma City's Bricktown district last weekend, which left five people injured. Three suspects were arrested in connection with those shootings, though the victims' identities and the suspects' details have not been released.
As for Saturday's shooting, police continue to gather information from witnesses, many of whom were attending the Halloween party when the violence erupted. It is not yet known how many people were inside the venue when the shots were fired, but several attendees fled the scene in the immediate aftermath. Emergency responders quickly arrived, and the injured were transported to nearby hospitals.
