Despite Sunday morning’s shooting at a social event, a Troy Shrine Club representative says gatherings at the fairgrounds are “pretty peaceful.”
Two people were injured early Sunday after a fight broke out during an event at the fairgrounds. Neither was seriously injured.
Frank Sadler Jr., secretary for the Shrine Club, said the organization rents the fairgrounds to groups and individuals for private parties. Proceeds from the rentals help support the Shriners’ network of children’s hospital.
“We do it all for the children,” Sadler said. As secretary of the organization he books the rentals, including Saturday night’s event, and he said the fairgrounds are a safe place.
“It’s pretty peaceful here. We light (the private events) up like we do the fair and it’s all on tape,” he said. “They normally hire their own security and police check on them.”
According to Sadler, police responded to a report that shots had been fired around 1:45 a.m. Sunday in a matter of seconds.
The two victims of the shooting made their way to the Troy Regional Medical Center emergency room. While Troy police officers remained at the fairgrounds until the crowd dispersed, other units were sent to TRMC at 1:55 a.m.
“Officers made contact with the two victims in the Emergency Room and found that they had non-life threatening gunshot wounds,” said Lt. Bryan Weed in a press release. “One victim had been shot in the left ankle; the second victim had been shot in the left calf.”
The victims said they were shot at the fairgrounds, but neither victim could identify who shot them.
“They were just stupid kids that don’t have any manners, weren’t raised right, in my opinion,” Sadler said.
No arrests have been made. The incident is still under investigation.
Sadler said the shooting has not affected business at the fairgrounds. April, July and December are completely booked. “I just had a guy call me from Texas. He’s going to have gospel singing,” he said.
If anyone has any information connected to either of these cases, contact the Troy Police Department at 566-0500; Troy Secret Witness Line at 566-5555; or Crime Stoppers at 215-STOP.