AT least nine people were shot in a mass shooting in Rhode Island on Thursday evening, police said.
The shooting occurred on Carolina Avenue in Providence and cops said the gunfire erupted between two rival groups who are known to police.
During a press conference after the shooting, Providence Police Chief Col Hugh T Clements said that three people were hospitalized in critical condition.
Cops confirmed that the shooting began with one group driving up to a home and starting to shoot.
The other group then returned gunfire.
The victims range in age from 19 to 25, Clements said.
Police did not disclose any information about arrests during the press conference but reiterated that the groups involved are known to cops.
Clements said that Thursday's shooting was the largest in the city's history and acknowledged that Providence has a problem with guns on the streets.
Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza also spoke at the scene and condemned a recent spike in gun violence in the area.
“I’ve spoken with a number of the neighbors, and everyone is shaken,” he said.
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The mayor assured residents that there would be extra patrols and security in the neighborhood over the coming days.
"This has to stop," Elorza said about gun violence in the area.
"The young people involved, believing that the way to solve their disputes is with a handgun – I mean, that can't be the way."
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