Two dead, several injured in U.S. park shooting near North Carolina school

A planned meeting between young people to settle a dispute at a North Carolina park spiraled into a mass shooting on Monday morning, leaving two people dead and several others wounded.

The Winston-Salem Police Department received reports of a fight in progress at Leinbach Park just before 10 a.m. on April 20.

While officers were en route, the situation escalated dramatically as multiple individuals began shooting at each other.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation confirmed that several people were shot and at least two have died.

The Police have not yet released a confirmed total number of injured victims. Authorities have indicated that both victims and suspects include juveniles, and some of those involved remain at large.

The Winston-Salem Police Department noted that while several individuals have been identified and located, efforts to account for everyone involved are ongoing.

The violence prompted nearby schools, including Jefferson Middle School and Mount Tabor High School, to be placed on a “secure hold” as a precaution.

Although the schools are currently operating as normal, parents have been permitted to pick up their children with appropriate identification if they choose.

Police have established a perimeter in the area, closing Leinbach Park and several surrounding roads, including Norman Road and Sally Kirk Road.

They have also deployed drones to assist in the search for suspects, while asking the public to refrain from flying personal drones to avoid interfering with the investigation.