Gunfire erupted early Sunday at a large neighborhood block party in Vienna, where deputies were already patrolling the gathering.
VIENNA, GA — Two men were killed and 35 people were injured after gunfire erupted early Sunday at a homecoming block party in this small south Georgia city, state investigators said. Deputies were already patrolling the gathering when shots were fired shortly before 1:30 a.m.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said preliminary information shows Dooly County sheriff’s deputies were on patrol at the neighborhood block party when shots were fired from the 900 block of Pine Street at about 1:25 a.m. Deputies responded and found multiple people who had been shot. Two people were found farther down Pine Street and pronounced dead at the scene.
Dooly County Coroner Brett Walls identified the people killed only as men ages 20 and 23. Their names had not been publicly released Sunday. The GBI said their bodies would be taken to its Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsies. The agency said 35 people were injured and victims were taken to several regional hospitals for treatment.
Authorities had not determined how many of the 35 injured people suffered gunshot wounds. Officials also had not released a complete accounting of the victims’ conditions. Local reporting indicated that some people were injured amid the chaos surrounding the shooting rather than by gunfire. At least two injured people were reported in critical condition Sunday.
The shooting occurred during a homecoming weekend gathering that drew a large crowd to the Pine Street area. Local officials estimated that about 1,000 people were attending the block party. Sheriff Craig Peavy said his deputies were at the event before the shooting and moved immediately to help victims after the gunfire began.
The shooting prompted a large emergency response as wounded people were transported to hospitals across the region. The number and range of injuries initially produced differing figures as authorities worked to determine how many people had been shot and how many had been hurt in other ways. The GBI later reported a total of 35 injured people.
Investigators had not publicly identified a suspect or announced a motive as of Sunday afternoon. Authorities also had not said whether the shooting involved one gunman or multiple shooters. The Dooly County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the GBI, which is leading the state investigative response.
The violence shook Vienna, a small Dooly County community where residents gathered Sunday morning for an impromptu prayer vigil. About 100 people attended the gathering at the courthouse, according to local reporting, as the community responded to the deaths and the large number of people hurt.
The investigation remained active Sunday. Investigators were working to determine the circumstances surrounding the gunfire and identify those responsible. Once the investigation is complete, the GBI said the case file will be provided to the Cordele Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review and possible prosecution.
Author note: Last updated October 4, 2026.