About 1,000 people were gathered for the overnight event when shots were fired along Pine Street, according to local authorities.
VIENNA, Ga. — Dooly County sheriff’s deputies were already patrolling a crowded neighborhood block party when gunfire erupted early Sunday, leaving two young men dead and 35 other people injured in one of the most serious violent incidents to hit the small Georgia community.
The shooting began about 1:25 a.m. in the 900 block of Pine Street, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Deputies encountered multiple shooting victims after the gunfire and later found two people dead in the 600 block of the same street. The GBI joined the investigation at the request of local authorities.
Dooly County Sheriff Craig Peavy told news outlets that roughly 1,000 people had gathered for the event and that deputies were present to monitor the crowd. His account placed law enforcement at the celebration before the shooting began, underscoring how quickly a large gathering turned into an emergency involving dozens of casualties and several regional hospitals.
Dooly County Coroner Brett Walls said the two people killed were men ages 20 and 23. Their identities had not been released Sunday, although their families had been notified. Autopsies were planned through the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office.
Authorities reported 35 people injured but had not said that every one of them was struck by gunfire. The GBI said multiple victims had been shot and transported for treatment, while local officials said at least 25 people were taken to hospitals. Officials had not released a complete list of injuries or described the medical conditions of those who survived.
The large crowd created an immediate challenge for deputies, emergency crews and investigators. With hundreds of people in the area when the shooting occurred, authorities faced the task of locating victims, arranging hospital transports and determining which witnesses had information that could help establish what happened before and during the gunfire.
Peavy told local outlets that gunfire was reported in more than one area along Pine Street. The GBI’s initial account said shots were fired in the 900 block and that the two people who died were found in the 600 block. Investigators had not publicly explained Sunday how the locations were connected or whether the gunfire involved one shooter or several.
No motive had been announced, and authorities had not publicly identified a suspect. Local reporting later Sunday said no arrests had been made. Officials also had not confirmed what triggered the shooting, and no verified account had established whether the violence began with a dispute or some other confrontation.
The uncertainty surrounding the shooting extended to the precise number of people directly struck by bullets. Early reports from officials and news organizations used different casualty descriptions as hospitals received patients and investigators worked to separate gunshot wounds from other injuries. The confirmed overall toll remained two dead and 35 injured in the GBI’s account.
The gathering had been described by local officials and news outlets as a homecoming celebration or homecoming block party. Authorities had not announced any finding that the event itself was improperly organized, nor had they said the presence of deputies before the shooting was connected to any known threat.
State and local investigators continued working Sunday to identify those responsible and determine the sequence of events along Pine Street. With no publicly identified suspect and major questions about the motive and number of shooters still unanswered, the investigation remained active.
Author note: Last updated Oct. 4, 2026.