All 9 Providence Shooting Victims Expected To Recover: Officials

PROVIDENCE, RI — All nine of the young adults injured in a shootout Thursday evening in Providence are expected to recover, authorities said at a news conference Friday morning.

Dozens of shots rang out just before 7 p.m. outside a residence at 87 Carolina Ave., according to Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare.

Investigators said a group of people in a car who had between three and five guns opened fire on a small group of people on the porch of the Carolina Avenue home. The group on the porch, who had at least two guns, returned fire.

Eight people were shot and another was injured by glass shards, authorities said. They are all young men between 19 and 25.

The incident is thought to be the largest shooting in Providence's history.

As of Thursday evening, two victims were in critical condition and another was in serious condition, Pare said. All of them are expected to recover.

Pare said investigators are working to determine who fired the gunshots. No arrests had been made as of Friday morning.

Gun violence in Providence has increased in recent months, with both shootings and the number of rounds fired on the rise, according to Pare.

"Typically, we’ll have shots fired with one or two or five shell casings," the commissioner said. "Now, we're finding it’s typical for people to be shooting at one another or at homes with 20 or 30 shell casings left behind."

The Associated Press reports 50 shell casings were found at the scene of Thursday night's shootout.

Pare called on the public to help identify suspects in the shooting.

"This is horrific when it happens. We’re giving every resource to hold those responsible for the gun violence accountable," he said. "If you have any information about any of the shootings, please help the police. We can solve this if the community comes forward."

dProvidence Mayor Jorge Elorza called for tighter restrictions on guns.

"We’ve been saying for a long time we need to stop the flow of guns — illegal or otherwise — onto our street," Elorza said. "What happened last night is very clear: There are too many guns and too many people in our community ready to use them."

Elorza's message echoed that of Pare — a desperate cry for less powerful weapons and less community violence.

"Five or six years ago, incidents like this would not happen," he said. "There may be a drive-by, maybe one person has a gun, maybe somebody has a revolver, you let off a few shots."

"What happened yesterday is something altogether different," he continued. "In a matter of seconds, we had dozens and dozens and dozens of rounds let off in hail of gunfire."

The mayor called on young people in and around Providence to turn away from lives of crime.

"To all the young people that are caught up in the game," he said. "There is a better way than resorting to gun crimes and escalating these situations to the point of potentially shooting another person. There are other ways, there are better ways"