The party had promised “good vibes, good people, food and drinks” and music until midnight. Instead, emergency lights painted the campground red and blue as police from multiple agencies swarmed the lake. Witnesses spoke through tears about cousins, sisters, and friends suddenly on the ground, hit by a storm of more than 30 shots. A white sedan, streaked in red, sat as a brutal reminder of how fast joy turned into chaos.

Officers found four gunshot victims crumpled inside a car nearby, while others had already driven themselves anywhere they thought help might be. Young adults who came for a night of escape were left standing in shock, wrapped in blankets under harsh floodlights, answering detectives’ questions. As police comb license-plate cameras and interview witnesses, families gather at a Walmart reunification center, clinging to their phones, waiting for the call that says their person is alive.