By Blake Deshazo
The Selma Times-Journal

A Selma man, 18, was shot and two teenage girls were injured Saturday night at the Central Alabama Fair.

According to Selma Police Chief John Brock, the shooting happened around 9:50 p.m. after a fight broke out near the back of the fairgrounds.

“Officers out there working security heard there was a fight in the back,” Brock said. “When they got back there, they heard two shots.”

Brock said the gunfire caused people to run toward the entrance, but no one told officers they were shot or injured.

“A few minutes later we get a call from the hospital that they had a gunshot victim with a couple of other injuries from the fair at the hospital,” Brock said. “When officers went to the hospital, one of the victims said he was at the fair near that same group that was fighting.”

Brock said the 18-year-old told officers that he took off running when he heard the shots, but he did not realize he was struck until he got out of the fair. He was transported to Vaughan Regional Medical Center by a private vehicle.

According to Brock, the 18-year-old was shot in the shoulder. The other two victims, both 15-year-old females, said they were grazed on the leg and thigh when the shots rang out.

All three victims were treated at Vaughan Regional Medical Center and are expected to make a full recovery.

“It’s a shame to have everybody out there having fun and then something like this happens and interrupts their family time,” Brock said.

Brock said investigators believe the shooter used a small caliber weapon.

No one has been arrested yet, but Brock said investigators have a person of interest.

According to fair manager John Haskell, some of the people working at the fair thought the shots were fireworks. Hundreds of people were at the fair when the shooting happened.

“It was a huge crowd. It was a pretty night so everybody was out there,” Brock said. “It could have been a very, very bad situation if there were more shots fired.”

Brock said the shooting was the only incident that happened this week at the fair.

“That was the only incident we had all week at the fair,” Brock said. “Everything went smoothly until that night. The fair had a great turnout.”