Police announce second death in mass shooting at upstate New York park

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – A second person has died following a mass shooting that broke out at a city park in upstate New York Sunday evening, police officials announced at a news conference Monday.

The gunfire erupted around 6:20 p.m. in Maplewood Park, where hundreds of people were gathered for a barbecue, said Rochester Police Chief David Smith. Seven people were hit by gunfire and taken to nearby hospitals.

Tyasia Manning, a 25-year-old city employee, died from her injuries on Sunday. Several hours later, 34-year-old Phylicia Council succumbed to her injuries, Smith said. The five other victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries, which Rochester Mayor Malik Evans described as "life-altering."

It was not immediately clear what led up to the shooting or how many people fired shots. Smith said at "some point" during the barbecue, "rounds were fired from multiple weapons." He called on witnesses to come forward with information.

"There were hundreds of people at this barbecue, and therefore, there are hundreds of people who have potential information to help us solve this crime," Smith said. "Once again, I am asking our community to step up and help to hold those who shot into a crowd, killing two women, accountable for their cowardly actions."

Sunday's incident is the second mass shooting in Rochester this year. On June 23, six people were shot overnight at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park after an argument broke out and led at least one person to shoot into a crowd. The victims, who ranged in age from 17 to 33, all survived. The incident led the mayor to impose an 8 p.m. park curfew.

After Maplewood Park mass shooting, questions abound

Smith told reporters on Monday that he could not say whether the shooters attended the barbecue or came from outside. Police have not said how many rounds were fired or how many people are believed to have fired weapons.

The barbecue was publicly advertised on flyers, but the event did not require permits, Smith said. He told reporters that city police “had been by a few times” throughout the day in response to complaints about cars on the grass, but the gathering was otherwise in compliance, he said. Law enforcement also monitored the event using nearby surveillance cameras.

“Until what happened ... we had no indication that something like this was going to occur,” Smith said.

City employee among 2 women slain in shooting

Evans, the mayor of Rochester, described both slain women as innocent shooting victims who were among the hundreds of people enjoying the barbecue and the warm summer weather when they were gunned down.

Evans confirmed Manning worked at Rochester's community centers and said that her death "hits hard." The mayor ordered flags at city buildings to be flown at half-mast, he said.

“She was simply at a barbecue, not causing problems, not causing confusion, not involved in any chaos – as most of the people that were there," Evans said.

The mayor, who said there were babies and whole families at the event, reiterated calls from police officials for witnesses to send videos to investigators and provide police with more details about what happened. "We need information," he said.

Beloved park becomes one of the latest US mass shooting sites

Maplewood Park spans 2 miles near the Genesee River and includes a rose garden, gazebos, a playground and a picnic area. The park was designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted in the late 1880s and is a Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site , according to the National Park Service.

Rochester, a city of over 200,000, sits on Lake Ontario and is located about 340 miles northwest of Manhattan.

There have been at least 314 mass shootings in the U.S. this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive , which defines a mass shooting as an incident in which at least four people are injured or killed, not including the shooter.

Christopher Cann reports for USA TODAY and Victoria E. Freile reports for the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Police announce second death in mass shooting at upstate New York park