Two teenagers were arrested Saturday night after back-to-back shootings near Scissortail Park and the Paycom Center in downtown Oklahoma City, according to police. Officers recovered firearms at both scenes, and one person was grazed by a bullet and taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The incidents unfolded within blocks of each other and remain under investigation.
Police told News 9 they took a 13-year-old into custody in connection with the Scissortail Park shooting, then later detained a 16-year-old near the Paycom Center. Investigators said two guns were recovered as they worked both scenes and tried to determine whether the shootings are connected.
Park Stage, Shell Casings And Witnesses
KOCO 5 reported that officers found shell casings near the stage area at Scissortail Park and that a victim with a graze wound later showed up at a hospital. Witnesses described a chaotic scene as people ran for cover, and reporters on scene heard multiple volleys of gunfire while crews worked to secure both locations.
Where Police Were Called
Officials told News 9 that one of the additional shots-fired calls came in from near Reno and Robinson avenues, on the east side of the park by the arena. Officers said their weekend staffing in the downtown area helped them respond quickly and led to the immediate detentions.
Why This Matters
Downtown's Paycom Center and Scissortail Park regularly draw big crowds for games and events, so gunfire in the area hits a nerve. Repeat incidents have rattled residents in recent months, and Hoodline previously covered a separate arena-area shooting during celebrations last summer in a shooting outside arena report. City leaders and police have publicly stressed stepped-up patrols around large events in an effort to keep crowds safe.
Oklahoma City police have asked anyone with video or information about Saturday night's shootings to contact investigators as the probe continues, and said they plan to release additional details as they become available.
