There was a shooting outside of a county fair in South Carolina Saturday night as the event was being shut down early because of incidents involving groups of youngsters, officials said.
The gunfire was reported at the Orangeburg County Fair, according to a Sunday morning news release from the fair association’s board of directors.
At least one person was taken to an area hospital, with what fair officials called non-life-threatening injuries. Further information on the victim’s condition was not available.
No other injuries were reported.
Another person, who was called “the suspect,” was taken into custody by members of multiple law enforcement agencies, according to the release. No arrests have been reported.
Prior to the gunfire, there were “multiple incidents involving groups of youth behaving in a disorderly fashion,” according to the release. Information about the nature of the incidents as well as the number of people involved, and if they were all minors, was not available.
At about 10:35 p.m. Saturday, fair officials said they made the decision to shut down all attractions and asked patrons to exit the fairgrounds at 350 Magnolia St. in Orangeburg. The rides were scheduled to close at 11 p.m., according to the fair’s website.
During the process of closing down the fair, there was a report of a gunshot in the parking lot, officials said.
Information about a motive for the shooting, and the number of people involved, was not available.
Because the shooting continues to be investigated, fair officials said they are unable to make more comments about the incident.
Despite the shooting, officials said the fair will re-open Sunday at noon as previously planned. Officials said the decision to operate the final day of the fair, through 7 p.m., was made because the shooting was considered to be an isolated incident, and officials noted the quick response of on-site security and law enforcement to the shooting.
While officials said that the shooting happened in the parking lot, the fair has a no weapons policy for the fairgrounds, according to the event’s website. Additionally, no concealable weapons are allowed, even by permit holders, the fair’s policy says.
“The Orangeburg County Fair Association is disappointed and outraged that anyone would choose to commit any acts of violence at a family-oriented event,” officials said in the release. “The fair has prided itself on providing a safe, family-friendly environment for 113 years.”
The fair’s board of directors are reviewing the incident to see if there are changes that should be made to ensure the safety of the patrons, staff, and community, according to the release.
