9 hurt when shots fired into Syracuse crowd

Syracuse police said nine people were injured when shots were fired into a large crowd at a gathering in the upstate New York city and an investigation is underway. 

A 17-year-old male is listed in critical condition and the eight other people, ranging in age from 18 to 53, are expected to survive, police said in a statement.

Police said officers responded to the scene to investigate a stolen vehicle complaint. 

Upon arrival, they reportedly found hundreds of people in the street who were part of a prior gathering. 

Multiple gunshot victims were discovered at the scene and several other gunshot victims were privately transported to area hospitals, police said. 

A witness told the Post-Standard of Syracuse the shooting occurred at an annual outdoor gathering called “Rye Day.” 

A woman who identified herself as the party’s hostess, Annetta Peterson, told the Post-Standard of Syracuse she has held the party for her son, Rydell Davis, for 14 years and said there has never been an issue. 

“I’ve had a birthday party for my son every year, and this never happened,” she told the newspaper. “This never, ever happened.”

She said the party had ended and they were packing up when they heard shots. Peterson told the newspaper she ducked under her car and heard too many gunshots to count. 

Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said he’s not aware of any city approvals issued for gathering, CNN reported.

“We wouldn’t issue approvals for a gathering of this size. So, we’re going to have to look into how it came to be,” Walsh reportedly said.