SALISBURY, Md. - Sheriff Mike Lewis of the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office says he believes gang members were involved in the mass shooting that killed 14-year-old Xavier Maddox early Wednesday morning.
Lewis says a second shooting could be related and multiple gunmen are suspected.
"Chances are there are two or more guns being fired simultaneously because they could hear the distinctive difference between a semi-automatic and fully automatic gun fire,"Â says Sheriff Mike Lewis.
According to Coast-TV's sister NBC affiliate WBAL in Baltimore, authorities said it began as a July Fourth block party that grew to a crowd estimated at between 300 and 400 people.
Xavier Maddox, 14, was shot and killed during a July 4 block party in Salisbury.
Lewis says there will likely be some additional retaliatory gunfire until suspects are in custody, but he doesn't think there's a threat to the community. However, he does say it is a threat to public safety as gangs could target each other.
"We are executing search warrants on vehicles that were recovered at the scene, we are examining ballistic information we have recovered, enormous amounts of shell casings from the scene," Lewis says.
WBAL reports that search warrants were being written up Wednesday afternoon, as suspects have been identified.Â
The investigation remains active. The Wicomico County Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information about this mass shooting to contact the Criminal Investigation Division at 410-548-4898. Anyone with information can also contact Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776, where you can share the information anonymously.