2 killed, 12 injured in U.S. North Carolina shooting

Two people were shot dead and 12 others injured at an impromptu block party early Monday in Charlotte, the largest city in southern U.S. state of North Carolina, reported Xinhua, quoting local authorities.

Among the injured, seven were hurt in the party shooting, while five others were hit by vehicles afterwards, according to the police.

"Several shooters discharged dozens of shots into the crowd," Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a statement.

A CNN report said police officers responded to a call of a pedestrian hit around 12:30 a.m. (1630 GMT) and found hundreds of people in the streets when they arrived at the scene.

There was evidence of multiple shooters, but no one was in custody as of Monday morning, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Deputy Chief Johnny Jennings told local reporters.

The gathering was a continuation of Juneteenth celebrations commemorating when the last enslaved African Americans learned they were free 155 years ago.