Four people were wounded, three of them critically, when gunfire erupted during a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in North Carolina on Friday night, police said.
The shooting happened around 7:30 p.m. on Union Street South in Concord, located about 19 miles northeast of Charlotte, local authorities said in a press release.
A subsequent investigation determined the violence erupted from a confrontation between “two suspects who are known to each other,” cops said, adding that it “was not a random act of violence directed at the public.”
One suspect has since been identified as 18-year-old Nasir Ahmad Bostic. He was shot during the incident and remains in the hospital in critical condition, according to authorities.
Bostic faces a slew of charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, and will be served an arrest warrant upon his release from the hospital.
The second suspected shooter, identified only as a 17-year-old, was also among those hospitalized in wake of the shooting. They too were listed in critical condition as of Saturday morning. They face charges for assault with a deadly weapon, inflicting serious injury with intent to kill, two counts of discharging into an occupied property and inciting a riot.
Keyvyonn Bostic, 17, was also charged with accessory after the fact and inciting a riot. He was not injured in the shooting and was apprehended shortly after the incident took place.
Another two teens were hospitalized after the gunfire, WCNC reported. One has been released while the second remains in critical condition, police said.
“A night of celebration for our community was interrupted by senseless violence, affecting everyone who was there,” Concord Police Chief Jimmy Hughes said. “Our community showed great strength and resilience as everyone came together to help one another and our officers.”
Video shared online sees festively dressed revelers fleeing through decorated streets, and away from the the city’s 28th annual tree lighting ceremony.
Concord Mayor Bill Dusch said the annual holiday parade scheduled for Saturday would go on as planned.
“The Concord Christmas Parade is and always has been one of our most beloved traditions,” he said. “We are a resilient community and will not let the senseless actions of a few individuals steal another tradition from us.”
