There were reports of shots fired during a party at the Norton Shores Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) on Saturday, May 9.
A spokesperson for the VFW told The Sentinel the venue was hosting a private party and the incident took place at closing time. He acknowledged posts on social media, but didn’t want to speculate, and said the site at 5201 Airline Road was cleared around 10 a.m. May 10.
According to report from 13 On Your Side, what sounded like 30-40 gunshots were fired just before midnight at the VFW southeast of Norton Shores, with dozens of emergency vehicles responding and several people believed to be injured.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether there were any fatalities.
The Sentinel has contacted the Muskegon County Sheriff’s Office and Norton Shores Police Department, but neither immediately responded to the request for comment. They have not released a public statement.
Social media posts in response to scanner coverage included a statement from Cinderella’s Closet of Muskegon, which read:
“My heart is breaking for these kids and their families today. Absolutely heartbreaking for their prom night to end this way. Prayers for the victims and their families as they heal physically and emotionally from this. I listened to this on the scanner last night and had a hard time sleeping. I can’t imagine what these kids, their parents and the neighbors are feeling today. Praying for all of you.”
Police reports via scanner are preliminary and open to interpretation. They should not be construed as official statements or records of fact.
— Contact reporters Tess Ware and Cassidey Kavathas at newsroom@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Reports of shots fired at teen party in Norton Shores
Reporting by Tess Ware and Cassidey Kavathas, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
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