At least four people were shot Saturday night on South Bend’s west side during Mexican Independence Day celebrations which turned dangerous, police said.
Officers received reports of numerous shots fired around 10:30 p.m. Saturday near the intersection of Philippa and Huron Streets, according to the South Bend Police Department. Authorities said there were as many as five different shooting scenes, spanning from South Olive Street in the east to Pulaski Park in the west and Western Avenue in the north.
South Bend Police Department chief Scott Ruszkowski said more than 100 rounds were fired.
“We’ve had multiple houses shot up [and] multiple vehicles shot up,” Ruszkowski told reporters early Sunday. “In essence, bullets were flying through houses and neighborhoods.”
Police said hundreds were gathered for Mexican Independence Day festivities in the parking lots and side streets near El Tecate Restaurant when the shooting began. According to Ruszkowski, the restaurant was the nucleus of the violence.
As of early Sunday, the four people struck by the gunfire were expected to survive their injuries, authorities said.
Officers added that one additional person was shot during a celebration for Mexican Independence Day in the city on the previous night.
