Authorities revealed on Wednesday that they have apprehended an 18-year-old in connection to a tragic shooting incident at a lakeside party in Oklahoma, where one woman lost her life and 22 others sustained injuries.
Officials in Edmond, a suburb of Oklahoma City, identified the suspect as Jaylan Amhad Davis. He faces charges related to the Sunday night shooting, which reportedly began as an argument between two women and escalated into a violent clash between rival gangs. Over 80 shots were fired during the chaos, according to the police.
Davis has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon, but the charge is expected to be elevated to felony murder, as announced by Edmond Police Chief J.D. Younger at a press briefing. His bail has been set at $1 million, as per jail documentation. The victim who died has been named as 18-year-old Avianna Smith-Gray.
There is currently no information available regarding whether Davis has legal representation to speak on his behalf.
Younger mentioned that Davis surrendered to authorities on Wednesday morning after an arrest warrant was issued. Investigators suspect there may be additional individuals involved.
“Our goal is to seek justice for the 23 victims, including the deceased, and even those who were part of the incident,” Younger emphasized. “It’s crucial to approach this without casting blame or drawing lines between the involved parties.”
Authorities first received reports of shots being fired at about 9 p.m. Sunday. The shooting took place at Arcadia Lake, a popular boating, fishing and swimming spot in the suburb just 13 miles north of Oklahoma City. Six of the victims are juveniles, some as young as 15, Younger said.
The party had been promoted across social media and drew a large crowd of mostly young adults from around the Oklahoma City area.
The shooting broke out just as officers were responding to a noise complaint about the party, police previously said. They noted that organizers hadn’t sought the necessary reservations for such an event.
