(IntegrityTimes.com) – Stockton is a small unincorporated area in Southern Alabama in Baldwin County that puts on an annual May Day event that often attracts more than 1,000 visitors. This year’s party was interrupted by gunfire that claimed the lives of three and left another 18 injured.
The county has a population of around 250,000, while Stockton has roughly 400 residents. Locals Families with children, people from out of town, and current and former residents from around the county gather to celebrate.
Douglas Bolden is a former resident who makes a point to return every year for the May Day event. In describing the chaos that erupted at the party, he says he was forced to take shelter under his camper after a gunshot shattered a window on a vehicle nearby. Bolden commented there were children running around in the woods, adding there was “no reason to be shooting”. He went on to say that it was hard to tell where the shots were coming from as people started running for their lives.
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office has released a statement about the event saying they are working very hard to bring the case to a resolution. They have not released any of the victims’ names nor have they confirmed that any arrests have been made. According to the Sherriff’s office press release the tragic shooting may have begun with an argument that got out of control. They also believe there may have been more than one shooter. In their public statement and in a post on Facebook they are asking the public for any footage they may have recorded of the event to help identify the shooters.
Andre Reid with the Baldwin County sheriff’s office’s investigation division has gone so far as to acknowledge that most of the victims were “younger people” but did not elaborate further. The Sherrif’s Department is taking the case very seriously and has called in the Baldwin County Major Crimes Unit to help.
While many would like to take this tragedy and use it to call for more gun control there is no indication yet whether the guns used were legally obtained or not. Also, the event seems more to be an informal local party rather than a formally organized event that would have active security measures that could be enforced. While the investigation continues, there is no way of knowing if any gun control measures could have prevented the unfortunate outcome.
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