An 18-year-old man is now in custody following a chaotic shooting Sunday night at Arcadia Lake in an Oklahoma City suburb that left one woman dead and 22 others injured, police announced Wednesday.
Jaylan A Davis turned himself in after authorities issued an arrest warrant. He faces an assault charge that officials say will be upgraded to felony murder following the death of Avianna Smith-Gray, an 18-year-old victim of the gunfire.
Edmond Police Chief JD Younger said at a news conference that Davis is being held on a $1 million bond. Jail records list him as an Oklahoma City resident.
The shooting erupted during a large party at the popular lake north of Oklahoma City after an argument between attendees. Detectives believe the confrontation began between two women and escalated into violence involving rival gang members. At least 80 rounds were fired, with multiple people discharging weapons at the scene.
Six of the victims are juveniles, some as young as 15. The gathering had been promoted on social media and drew a crowd of mostly young adults from across the region. Event organizers had not obtained the necessary reservations for such an event, police noted.
Officers were responding to a noise complaint when the shooting began. While Davis has been arrested, investigators believe at least one additional suspect remains unidentified.
"We're trying to find justice for 23 people that were shot, one that's deceased and even the people that were involved," Younger said. "I think it's important not to demonize or separate the parties here."
Author James Rodriguez: "A massive police response will be necessary here, but the real challenge is whether detectives can quickly identify and locate that other shooter before another gathering goes sideways."
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