Young adults to be charged in North Carolina park shooting that killed 2 teens, wounded 5

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) — The Winston-Salem Police Department is investigating a mass shooting that claimed the lives of two teens and left another five teens injured on Monday morning.

Here is everything we know so far.

Police say there was a “planned fight” involving several young people that escalated into a shootout Monday morning at local Leinbach Park.

Erubey Romero Medina, 17, who had been shot, was found in the park’s parking lot. He was declared dead at the scene. Daniel Jimenez Millian, 16, was found inside the park and had also been shot and was declared dead.

Four females, ages 14, 15, 17 and 19, and an 18-year-old male were also shot.

Police say their injuries range from critical to minor.

In accordance with North Carolina law, the names of the juvenile victims will not be released. The names of the adult victims are also being withheld pending further investigation into their involvement, police say.

Detectives were still working to figure out each person’s role in the fight and shooting and say some of the teens who were hurt were also involved in the shooting.

No one is in custody at this time. Police say decisions about possible charges will be made after the investigation has progressed.

Young adults to be charged

On Tuesday morning, Winston-Salem Police Department Chief William Penn, Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough and Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill announced that they are not seeking any further suspects in Monday’s mass shooting.

Penn said that charges will be filed for the adults who “stood by during this fight yesterday.”

“Although they’re young adults, they’re adults,” said Penn. “We’re sending the message that if you stand by, encourage, aid, or abet our juveniles in delinquent behavior, we will not tolerate it in our community.”

Kimbrough applauded the efforts of the district attorney’s office and investigators. O’Neill also closed the joint statement with a strong remark.

“If you commit violent crime in this community, the police department will and the sheriff’s department will track you down, they will arrest you,” said O’Neill. “You will be brought to court, and we will show no quarter, no mercy whatsoever. No violence will be accepted in this community.”

The park where the shooting took place is near two area schools, Mount Tabor High School and Jefferson Middle School, and both schools were secured after learning of it.

Tatum Brimmer, the mother of a 2-year-old daughter at the Mount Tabor United Methodist Church preschool, rushed to pick her daughter up. She called the situation “heart-wrenching.”

“I was so emotional. I was like, ‘Oh, no. This is too close to home.’ There are a bunch of kids there, and she’s only a child,” Brimmer said.

The church’s pastor, David Beam, said nearly all 100 children there were safely picked up.

Beam said about two hours after the school day began at 8 a.m., the church and the preschool were placed on lockdown and parents were notified.

The Winston-Salem Police Department used the church’s parking lot to stage cars and responses.

“We’re always concerned about our community. It’s not just about our church members, especially the kids across the street at the school and all of our neighbors … We wanted to make sure we could make our facility available in any way we could to help the police,” Beam said.

After hearing of the shooting investigation near the church on Monday morning, Brimmer said nothing else mattered to her more than holding her daughter again.

“Relieved. I’m just blessed. I’m blessed to have her in my arms. I am blessed to have her because I love her,” Brimmer said.

Kevin Owles walked to Jefferson Middle School through multiple road closures to pick up his daughter on Monday morning. Although students were permitted to stay in school, he said he wanted his daughter home with their family.

“I was a little bit worried, a little bit sad, a little bit mad, a spectrum of emotions,” Owles said. “I was scared for the schools around here, too. Not just our school.”

‘Stay away from fights’

Winston-Salem Police Chief William Penn, Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough and Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill pleaded with the community during a news conference on Monday afternoon, calling on families to intervene to prevent youth violence.

“What I would like to say to those families and parents who are concerned is continue to have the conversation with our kids. We got to tell them to stay away from fights,” Penn said. “Stay away from the fights. It’s not the same as it used to be … These fights now lead to weapons and shootings.”

Parents react after 2 killed, 5 hurt in mass shooting at Winston-Salem park (WGHP)

Parents line up to pick up children from Jefferson Middle School

Several victims, suspects located in mass shooting at Leinbach Park in Winston-Salem

LIVE UPDATES: Fight escalates to shooting near Leinbach Park, Sally Kirk Road in Winston-Salem, schools on secure hold

He urged parents to stay engaged and keep up with where their children are. Kimbrough echoed these sentiments, saying law enforcement cannot do it alone.

“The police and the sheriff can’t give our children a moral compass. They can’t. My question would be to the auntie, the mother, the grandmother. What are you going to do?” Kimbrough said. “What are we going to do as a community to make sure that we’re doing something collectively as a community to make sure that we stop this senselessness?”

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