Lauren Moye, FISM News
Six people were hospitalized after a shooting outside an Oregon concert on Friday night with one individual in critical condition. The suspect remains unknown, and police have asked the public to provide helpful information.
Shots outside WOW Hall in Eugene, Oregon were reported at 9:29 pm. The venue was hosting a rap concert by Lil Bean and Zay Bang at the time, according to local police. Five people were initially reported as “transported to a local hospital,” but a tweet early Saturday morning confirmed that a sixth victim had also been transported.
A sixth person has been transported as well https://t.co/fY4ErqV17P
— Eugene Police Dept. (@EugenePolice) January 15, 2022
Officers from multiple law enforcement agencies and the Eugene Springfield Fire Department responded to the scene. Eugene Police Chief Chris Skinner later described this scene to reporters on Saturday morning as “what you would exactly expect when six people just got shot.”
He added, “People are just trying to get out of here, their friends are on the ground, they’re trying to help,”
Skinner also reported that at least one victim was in critical condition from what he described as “certainly one of the highest-profile shootings we’ve had in the city of Eugene.”
WOW Hall spokespeople Deb Maher and Jaci Guerena posted a joint statement after the incident: “There is not much information currently available; however, we heard gunshots in the back parking lot. The motives are not yet known. We do know that some people were injured, but we do not know the extent of the injuries, and we do not want to speculate.”
The statement is representative of almost all that is known about the shooting. Potential suspects and motives for the shooting are still unknown, although police have indicated they are looking for a single suspect. Eugene police have asked the public to provide “relevant information” regarding the crime.
Police are actively working the investigation. There is no suspect in custody at this time and we ask the public to call with any relevant information. 541.682.5111. https://t.co/eV8Fugrh1T
— Eugene Police Dept. (@EugenePolice) January 15, 2022
During Saturday’s press conference Skinner also asked for witnesses with video or audio evidence to step forward. He said, “We just need people to feel comfortable and bring that forward, so we can better understand what happened and better identify our suspect. All we know at this point is we have a male in a hoodie that was seen running westbound … right after the shooting.”
WOW Hall has canceled classes held at the venue until future notice in light of the shooting and ongoing investigation.
No deaths have been reported.