A 14-year-old girl has been wounded and hospitalized after a shooting at a carnival on the campus of Gar-Field High School in Woodbridge, Virginia, Friday night.
In a news release, Prince William County officials said that around 9:22 p.m. Friday, off-duty officers assigned to carnival security heard gunfire coming from or around the entrance to the high school. As the sounds continued, carnival attendees reportedly fled the area as officers ran to investigate.
While searching the scene, officers found a 14-year-old girl with a gunshot wound to her abdomen in the parking lot, several yards away from where they believe the shooting occurred.
Officers provided first aid to the girl until emergency personnel arrived on the scene. She was flown to a hospital by medevac helicopter, where her injuries were determined to be nonlife threatening.
Detectives believe that two groups leaving the carnival became involved in a verbal argument in the school parking lot. During the altercation, multiple gunshots were fired, and the groups left the area on foot. It is unknown whether the wounded 14-year-old girl was involved with the dispute.
Police said witnesses reported a possible suspect fleeing the area toward Smoketown Road after the shooting. The suspect is described by police as “a Black male, possibly in his teens, wearing a red hooded sweatshirt, black pants and white shoes.”
Officers also said an uninvolved vehicle was struck by a bullet as it was leaving the carnival grounds. The driver was not injured.
Parents, children and other attendees separated during the confusion were reunited at the Christ Chapel Church on Smoketown Road later that evening.
Prince William County police ask anyone with information concerning this incident, or have video or photos leading up to the event, to contact law enforcement.
WTOP’s Veronica Canales contributed to this report.
