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At least nine injured in US street shoot-out

At least nine people have been injured in a mass shooting event in the US state of Rhode Island on Thursday night (local time).

Three of the victims were in a "maybe critical" condition, authorites said.

Police Chief Hugh Clements told reporters at the scene it was the largest shooting in the city of Providence, saying multiple guns were used and it involved an "ongoing feud" between groups known to police, the Associated Press reported.

He said the shooting began with gunfire emanating from a vehicle, targeting a home. A person or people inside the home then returned fire.

About a dozen shorts were estimated to have been fired in the typically quiet neighbourhood.

Authorities respond to the scene where multiple people were wounded in a shooting. Source: AP
Authorities respond to the scene where multiple people were wounded in a shooting. Source: AP

No arrests have been made. Police were at the hospital interviewing the victims, who are between the ages of 19 and 25.

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza also addressed media at the scene.

“I’ve spoken with a number of the neighbours, and everyone is shaken,” he said, adding that he’s promised extra patrols and security in the neighbourhood for the coming days.

The shooting is the latest such event to make headlines in the country trying which is desperately trying to tackle its problem with gun violence.

Mr Elorza exhorted city residents to stop using gun violence to settle feuds, and criticised the ready availability of guns.

“This has to stop,” he said. “The young people involved, believing that the way to solve their disputes is with a handgun — I mean, that can’t be the way."

Last month, US president Joe Biden announced plans to boost gun control laws in the country after a string of mass shootings.

The president said he’s “willing to work with anyone to get it done,” gun control measures face slim prospects in an evenly divided Senate, where Republicans remain near-unified against most proposals.

with AP

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