A birthday party for an 18-year-old girl ended in gunfire at a park in Macon, Georgia, when a second group showed up, an argument broke out, and shots flew, wounding 12 teens and young adults.
Story Snapshot
- The shooting hit Carolyn Crayton Park in Macon, Georgia, around midnight early Sunday, September 27.
- Twelve people ages 17 to 19 were shot; two are in critical condition.
- The party started at an Airbnb in Jones County, but the owner asked the group to leave because people there had guns.
- A second group arrived at the park and opened fire; the sheriff says there is no evidence any of the wounded fired shots.
- No one has been arrested, and the sheriff says adults who knew about the guns could be charged too.
Party Moves From Rental Home To Public Park
The gathering began as a celebration for an 18-year-old girl’s birthday at an Airbnb rental in nearby Jones County. The owner asked the group to leave because people there had firearms, Bibb County Sheriff David Davis said. The group moved to Carolyn Crayton Park in Macon and gathered near the park’s skate park area close to midnight. That put dozens of teens and young adults in one spot when the second group arrived.
Davis said the second group opened fire on the birthday crowd. People in the original group then fired back, he said. But he said there is “no evidence at this time any of those injured fired shots.” Shell casings show that several guns were used.
MASS SHOOTING: Two groups of people shot at each other during a birthday party at a Georgia city park, resulting in gunshot wounds to 12 teens, a sheriff said Sunday. https://t.co/u07aFfdfjU
— WPLG Local 10 News (@WPLGLocal10) September 28, 2026
Sheriff Says Families Knew About The Guns
No one has been arrested. The FBI is helping with the case, and the sheriff said the evidence points to a local incident. Davis made clear he is not stopping at the shooters. “I’ll guarantee you there’s some adult loved ones or some guardians that knew they had guns,” he said. “Not a doubt in my mind, and if we can charge any adult in connection with this, we’re going to do that, too.”
Davis also said he would seek to have any minors involved in the shooting charged as adults. Anyone with information can call the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at 478-751-7500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-877-68CRIME.
Casualty Count Shifts As Hospitals Report New Arrivals
Authorities first said 11 people were shot. The count rose to 12 after a 19-year-old man arrived at a medical center at 12:24 p.m. Sunday with a gunshot wound that was not life-threatening, and investigators tied it to the shooting.
Deputies were called around 12:06 a.m. to the park, which sits about 85 miles southeast of Atlanta. All of the wounded were part of the birthday party. Two of them, an 18-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy, are in critical but stable condition, and the rest are stable. Davis said he “can’t remember the last time we’ve had this many people shot at one time.”
Victims Include Multiple Teenage Boys And Girls
Investigators said the wounded included four 18-year-old males, five 17-year-old males, two 18-year-old females, and one 19-year-old male. The group included students from Central High School and Northeast High School. Most of the wounded were still of high school age, caught in the crossfire during what should have been a simple celebration among friends.
Sources:
cbsnews.com, 13wmaz.com, wgxa.tv, ktvb.com, yahoo.com