Kansas City, Mo. – Gunfire erupted early Sunday outside a Knights of Columbus hall where a party had attracted hundreds of young people. Two men were killed and at least 10 other people were injured, police said.
An officer handling a traffic accident heard several gunshots about 1 a.m. from near the fraternal lodge.
Police rushed to the scene and witnessed “people running in all different directions,” said Sgt. Doug Niemeier.
He said the hall had been rented out Saturday night, but he did not know to whom.
After the people and vehicles cleared the area, a 20-year-old man was found dead in a parking lot next to the hall. A second man, also 20, died hours later at a hospital, police said.
Niemeier said at least two other people were critically wounded – a 17-year-old shot in the chest and a 24-year-old shot in the neck – and at least eight others also were wounded.
Investigators were trying to learn what prompted the gunfire. Niemeier estimated that 25 to 50 rounds were fired.
No arrests had been made by Sunday afternoon, and police said the victims’ names would not be released until today.
Phone messages left at the Knights of Columbus were not returned.
The Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization.
