More than a dozen shots were fired during two simultaneous shootings at the Milwaukee Bucks championship celebration in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, early Wednesday morning.
The shootings happened around 12:45 a.m. as fans flooded streets outside the stadium, celebrating the team’s first NBA Finals victory in 50 years.
Local TV station WISN had a reporter on the scene across the Milwaukee River in Deer District Plaza when shots were heard and witnessed hundreds of people fleeing the scene. The two shootings could likely be heard in the TV coverage, Milwaukee police Captain Jesús Ortiz said in an email to The Associated Press (AP).
Just heard what appears to be gunshots on Water Street in Milwaukee. pic.twitter.com/Z0SmPhH4fS
— Evan Casey (@ecaseymedia) July 21, 2021
In one of the shootings, a 22-year-old man suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The other shooting also resulted in non-life-threatening injuries for a 19-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man.
One person is in custody and police are actively looking for other suspects, however, authorities reportedly said that the circumstances and motive of the shootings are under investigation. (RELATED: Shooting Breaks Out At Toronto Raptors Championship Parade)
In a separate incident, a police officer was trampled by fans trying to get into the Deer District outdoor watch party after the area had reached capacity, The AP reported. The officer didn’t sustain any major injuries but is in pain, Oritz reportedly said.
Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers anticipated mishaps with the celebration and mobilized 150 National Guard members to help in Milwaukee with traffic control and safety prior to the game, The AP reported.
Approximately 65,000 people gathered for the watch party in Deer District, an area with numerous bars and restaurants, according to The AP. The District erupted in celebration following the Bucks’ big win, as fans climbed light polls, surfed the crowd and cannon-balled into the Milwaukee River, the Sentinel reported.
After falling to the Phoenix Suns in the first two games of the series, the Bucks managed to clinch in game six of the finals Tuesday. ‘Greek Freak’ Giannis Antetokoumpo carried the Bucks to their 105-98 victory over the Suns, scoring almost half of the team’s points in the final matchup and receiving the NBA Finals MVP title.