Double Shooting At Midwest City Park Kills 15-Year-Old

Midwest City police are investigating a double shooting that left a 15-year-old dead at the Rotary Pavillion at Regional Park Friday afternoon.  

Chief Sid Porter said the situation escalated after someone called to report a loud party around 4:45 p.m.  

“We received a phone call about a possible loud party, loud music, possibly people smoking marijuana. Officers responded and before they got here, the call was upgraded to possible shooting in progress,” Porter said.  

Emergency responders transported one victim from the park to a hospital. A second victim arrived at a hospital within two hours of the shooting.

“We don't know the motive or the relation” between the victims and shooter, Porter said. “We don’t know if they knew each other, and we'll continue to investigate that.”  

Eric Massey was working at the snow cone stand nearby when he heard the gunfire.  

“We were passing out drinks and then we heard the shots inside the building,” Massey said. “Just from outside the window where I was standing, I could see people running through the parking lot.”  

One witness told News 9 he saw a group of three to four men begin to fight.  

“We went to go break up the fight and that's when the dude pulled out the gun and then everybody just started running,” said Cam’ron Taylor. “We don't know how the fight started. We don't know who was fighting. We were just out here having fun.”  

Witnesses said they saw balloons that read “2022,” leading them to believe a graduation party was taking place at the time of the shooting.  

 “It can happen anytime,” Porter said. “We actively patrol this place, and this was unfortunate.”  

The incident marks the second incident involving gunfire at the park this month.  

Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater said Sgt. Jeff McNeil acted lawfully when he fired three rounds towards a 19-year-old suspect on May 1.  

In that incident, McNeil responded to the park for reports of a person with a gun. Upon arrival, McNeil reportedly saw Ronnie Norwood Jr., 19, pointing a handgun at a crowd of people.  

Norwood Jr. shot one round towards the crowd after McNeil yelled “numerous times” to drop the gun, according to a probable cause affidavit written by MWC Detective Ron Starcher.  

McNeil then fired three rounds toward Norwood Jr., who attempted to run away but was ultimately arrested. No one was injured during the incident.  

Massey told News 9 he was working at the snow cone stand during both incidents.  

“It’s kind of sad that it’s becoming a regular thing that Regional Park is being associated with,” Massey said. “Being here and working here for so many years, that’s just not how I see it but it’s becoming normal.”