Shootout in USA's North Carolina during Christmas tree lighting, several feared dead

Gunfire erupts during the 28th annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Concord city, North Carolina, USA. Families with children, elderly folks, and excited locals had gathered around Church Street and Cabarrus Avenue for the festive event, but distant pops—first mistaken by some for fireworks—quickly revealed themselves as deadly shots, sending hundreds scrambling for cover in blind panic. Parents clutching kids as they dashed away, the glow of decorations now overshadowed by fear, with no immediate word on the number of dead or injured but initial fears pointing to multiple casualties amid the bustling crowd.

Police swarmed the area in minutes, cordoning off the streets and launching a frantic hunt for the shooter, whose identity and motives remain unknown as of late Friday. Officers urged anyone with tips or who spotted anything suspicious to call the Concord Police Department hotline while emergency crews tended to the wounded in hushed urgency. The sudden violence shattered the holiday and festive spirit, leaving organizers to cancel the rest of the night's events, though the Christmas parade set for later that evening hung in the balance, with no final call yet on whether it would go ahead amid the heavy security presence.

As the community reels from the shock, questions swirl about how such a brazen attack could strike at a family-friendly gathering, prompting calls for tighter security at public events. Concord city's leaders expressed deep sorrow, vowing swift justice and support for those affected, while the residents and locals watches in dismay over yet another outbreak of gun violence tearing through an American holiday tradition. Investigations underway, with authorities piecing together witness accounts to track down the gunman and prevent further harm.