Kevin Robinson

krobinson4@pnj.com

An altercation early Sunday morning that led to a 16-year-old being shot and a 15-year-old being knocked unconscious occurred right after a Stop the Violence concert, according to an event organizer.

Around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, about 300 teenagers had congregated outside of American Legion Post 33 on 1401 W. Intendencia St. following the concert, according to a news release from the Pensacola Police Department. A large fight broke out among the youth, and one male was shot in the upper torso and another was beaten unconsciousness.

Both teens have been treated at local hospitals and released, according to PPD officials.

A co-organizer of the concert, Bill Marshall, said the concert had been a free event where local music artists performed and spoke to the youths about ending violence in their communities.

Marshall, who did not attend the event, said there had been metal detectors and security inside the building and no reported issues during the concert. He said that problems began after the event ended at midnight.

He said friction developed among teens who were exiting the concert, teens who were waiting outside because the building had reached occupancy capacity at 300 and older teens who came to hang out in the building parking lot.

"Older kids started coming down the street, and apparently they didn't like what some of the younger kids were doing," Marshall said. He said he did not know specifically what sparked the shooting.

Marshall said future teen events likely would be hosted at a larger venue with more security.

The American Legion often rents out its hall for private functions, but Cmdr. Doug Burleson, head of Post 33, said that the youth concert this weekend would be the last of its kind there.

"Unfortunately, we're not going to be able to rent the the building for events for young people anymore," Burleson said. "We can't have these types of events anymore if we can't ensure the kids are going to be kept safe."

The PPD is still investigating the shooting. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the Pensacola Police Department at 435-1900.