State investigators are working with Dooly County authorities after gunfire broke out during an overnight neighborhood block party attended by a large crowd.
VIENNA, Ga. — Two men were killed and 35 other people were injured when gunfire erupted at a crowded neighborhood block party early Sunday in Vienna, prompting the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to join a widening inquiry into what happened.
The shooting occurred about 1:25 a.m. Oct. 4 while Dooly County sheriff’s deputies were already patrolling the gathering, according to the GBI. Authorities said shots were fired in the 900 block of Pine Street, where deputies encountered multiple injured people. Two people were found dead farther along Pine Street, in the 600 block. Victims were taken to several regional hospitals for treatment.
Dooly County Coroner Brett Walls identified the people who died only by age, saying they were men who were 20 and 23. Their names had not been publicly released as of Sunday. Their families had been notified, and the bodies were being sent to the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsies.
The number of people listed as injured does not necessarily mean all 35 were shot. State investigators said multiple people had gunshot wounds but had not released a breakdown showing how many of the injured were struck by gunfire or how many were hurt in other ways during the chaos. Authorities also had not released the conditions of those taken to hospitals.
Sheriff Craig Peavy told local news outlets that the gathering had drawn about 1,000 people and that deputies were monitoring the event before the shooting began. He said at least 25 people were taken to hospitals and indicated that the total number of injured could reach 35. The size of the crowd and the number of casualties complicated the early effort to account for everyone affected.
Investigators had not announced a motive Sunday, and authorities had not identified anyone publicly as responsible for the shooting. Local reporting later Sunday said no arrests had been made. Officials also had not established publicly whether one person or multiple people fired weapons.
The shooting left investigators with a large number of potential witnesses and a broad area to examine along Pine Street. The GBI was assisting the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office as authorities worked to determine the sequence of events, identify those involved and reconcile information from victims and witnesses.
Early accounts varied slightly on the precise time of the shooting and the number of people initially transported for treatment, a common issue during a rapidly developing mass-casualty response. The GBI placed the gunfire at about 1:25 a.m., while some local officials gave times several minutes earlier. The state’s count of 35 injured was the broadest official figure reported Sunday.
Authorities had not released detailed information about what may have happened immediately before the gunfire. No official account had established whether an argument, confrontation or other incident preceded the shooting. Investigators also had not publicly confirmed reports suggesting how many firearms may have been involved.
The investigation remained active Sunday as the GBI and Dooly County authorities continued gathering evidence and interviewing people connected to the block party. Officials said additional information would be released as facts were confirmed.
Author note: Last updated Oct. 4, 2026.