Multiple people were taken to the hospital Friday night after a shooting that injured six people at a concert in Eugene, Oregon. Police were called to the WOW Hall in downtown Eugene Friday night after multiple reports of shots being fired. According to the venue’s Facebook page, the shooting happened while an event was taking place.
“Around 9:30 we got multiple calls, like 30 different calls around shots being fired and multiple victims,” Eugene Police Chief Chris Skinner said in a news briefing early Saturday morning. The suspect is a man last seen in a hooded sweatshirt, police said. He is to be considered armed and dangerous.
What we have right now is a single suspect,” Skinner said. “We think we have him fleeing the scene westbound on 8th street. All we know is that he’s male and in a hoodie.” According to Skinner, witnesses were not cooperative with the officers who first responded to the scene.
Interim Executive Director, Deb Maher, released a statement following the shooting:
“You may have heard that there was a shooting outside the WOW Hall tonight at the “Lil Bean + Zay Bang”* concert. 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. We at the WOW Hall want to thank all first responders who came so quickly to ensure everyone’s safety and administer first aid. We believe all staff and volunteers are safe and accounted for. This is unprecedented at the WOW Hall.
The police are investigating. If we receive additional information, we will try to make it available. If you have any information about this incident, please contact the Eugene Police Department at 541-682-5111. Thank you for continuing to support the WOW Hall in these very challenging times. All classes held at the WOW Hall are canceled until further notice.”
EPD is not sure if the shooting was targeted or random. “We don’t right now have any indication of either or those – random or targeted. I think as the investigation unfolds we’ll figure out any cause or relationship,” Skinner said. When asked how many shots were fired, Skinner said they do not know yet. “We’ll find as many shell casings as we [can].”
