Georgia gas station shooting leaves 9 children injured

Police in Georgia say that nine children were hurt in a Friday night gas station shooting with the youngest victim being just 5-years-old. 

Police officers in Columbus, Georgia were dispatched to the Shell gas station on Warm Springs Road on Friday night around 10 p.m. Responding officers reported a large group of people with nine shooting victims, police said in a press conference on Saturday.

"Based on our preliminary investigation, we learned that an altercation took place at a party that was nearby," Columbus Police Chief Freddie Blackmon said, adding that all the victims were under the age of 18.

The nine victims include a preteen and a 5-year-old boy who is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

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Seven of the victims are male and two are female, Blackmon said.

Police say the ages of the children injured were 5, 12, three 13-year-olds, 14, two 15-year-olds, and 17.

None of the children are believed to have suffered a life-threatening injury.

Blackmon said an altercation may have taken place at the party, hosted at a nearby "warehouse location," and that the argument spilled over into the gas station. 

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"We’re still working to develop the information to find out exactly what occurred, and how many individuals are involved," he said.

"While Columbus is not immune to these incidents, I want to assure citizens that the men and women of CPD are tirelessly working to get violent offenders off our streets," Blackmon said in a statement before the press conference.  

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"It is going to take a community effort to combat gun violence in our city. The entire village has a responsibility because incidents like this impact all of us."