Eight shot in Oklahoma City after NBA playoff series win
A total of eight people were shot Monday night in Oklahoma City following that city's NBA team completing a playoff series victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Police investigate the scene of a shooting with multiple victims near Reno Avenue and Mickey Mantle Drive following the Oklahoma City vs. Los Angeles NBA playoff game early Tuesday morning, May 22, in Oklahoma City.
Sarah Phipps/The Oklahoman/AP
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Eight people were wounded, one critically, by gun shots fired as thousands of sports fans left a National Basketball Association playoff game late Monday, police said.
The shooting occurred during a confrontation outside Chesapeake Arena in downtown Oklahoma City, as fans walked to parking lots after the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Los Angeles Lakers.
One victim was in critical condition while wounds suffered by seven others were not believed to be life-threatening, said Captain Dexter Nelson of the Oklahoma City Police Department. City police said early Tuesday there was no update on the victims' conditions.
The shooting erupted when a group of women "ran up" on a group of men and exchanged words, Nelson said.
"At least one guy pulled out a gun and started shooting," he said. "We don't know why it happened."
The shooting occurred at 11:35 p.m. local time in Bricktown, the city's entertainment district.
There have been no arrests, but two people in a vehicle were detained for questioning, Nelson said. Investigators believe interviews with the wounded will help identify suspects.
"We hope some of them know who was shooting at them," he said.
Besides the 18,000 people who packed into Chesapeake Arena for the game, about 7,000 to 9,000 others gathered outside the stadium to watch the action being streamed on outdoor monitors, police said. (Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Jackie Frank)