Tulare Sgt. Ed Hinojosa said the shooter fired multiple rounds at a "party or some type of celebration of life" occurring with about 50 to 60 people present .
+ READ ARTICLEA shooter fired multiple rounds at a gathering of people at an apartment in Tulare, Calif. on Wednesday night, killing one and injuring five others, including a 7-year-old child, according to police.
Tulare Police Sgt. Ed Hinojosa said during a press conference that the suspect opened fire at a “party or some type of celebration of life going on for somebody who was buried today that was apparently involved in a car accident a few days ago.” He added that there were about 50 to 60 people present.
A 23-year-old man has died and five others were injured: two men, two women and the 7-year-old girl, police have confirmed. The girl was being treated for multiple gunshot wounds and had been transported to Valley Children’s Hospitals. As of Thursday morning, no updates on her condition have been provided. The police department did not immediately respond to a request to comment from TIME.
As mourners left the apartment, the shooter approached a group outside in a front driveway, and opened fire. “We were all dancing, listening to music and drinking and the only thing I remember is hearing one shot, and then after that we heard like 10 rounds,” an eyewitness told ABC7 News. “Then everyone dropped to the floor and then we just heard screaming. Then after that everyone ran inside.”
“There was blood everywhere,” another eyewitness told local newspaper The Visalia Times Delta.
Hinojosa said police arrived to a “chaotic” scene after receiving several calls around 10:30 p.m. reporting multiple gunshots fired. He did not elaborate on a description of the shooter, but speculated that the incident could be gang-related.