A night of trick-or-treating in Altoona turned frightening Saturday when a fight between two groups of juveniles escalated into gunfire, sending a bullet into the wall of a nearby garage. Police say no one was hurt, though the scare unfolded as families were still out walking the neighborhood for Halloween.
Officers responded at about 6:40 p.m. to a reported shooting in the 800 block of 10th Street NW, according to who13.com. Investigators determined that two groups of juveniles got into a confrontation while trick-or-treating that escalated into a physical altercation, and at some point during that fight, someone fired a gun.
A separate account from KCCI places the fight along 10th Street Northwest by 8th Avenue Northwest, attributing that detail to investigators. The outlet reports Altoona police are now working to identify everyone involved in the altercation and plan to make arrests once that process is complete.
Bullet Lodges in Garage Wall as Police Call Incident Isolated
The shot that rang out during the scuffle did not strike any person, but it did leave a mark: a bullet was found lodged in the wall of a garage at a nearby residence, per the same who13.com account. The Altoona Police Department said it believes the shooting was an isolated incident, a characterization that offers some reassurance to residents even as the investigation into exactly what happened continues.
Accounts of injuries from the night diverge. Who13.com reported that no injuries resulted from the shooting and physical altercation, while a separate report from weareiowa.com described the incident as isolated but said a teen was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The two accounts have not been reconciled.
As of the most recent reporting, no arrests had been announced, and the investigation into the shooting remained ongoing, according to who13.com. KCCI reports police are trying to identify those involved in the fight and intend to pursue arrests once suspects are identified.
Part of a Violent Halloween Weekend Nationally
Altoona's scare was not an isolated data point nationally. CNN reported that more than a dozen people were killed and over 90 others injured over a Halloween weekend marred by gun violence, with multiple shootings across the country upending celebrations, according to CNN. Similar scenes played out elsewhere: in Stockton, California, shots were reported near a neighborhood while children were trick-or-treating, as detailed by CBS San Francisco. In Duncan, Oklahoma, a man was arrested Halloween night after he reportedly pointed a gun at a police officer who was responding to a call of shots fired at trick-or-treaters, according to KOCO.
In Altoona, the investigation continues as police work to piece together exactly what sparked the confrontation between the two groups of juveniles. For now, the department's focus remains on identifying those involved and determining what charges, if any, will follow.
