MPD: shooting at New Year's celebration

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Revelers in downtown Mobile were expecting to ring in 2013 with a bang, but gunfire was not exactly on most people's minds.

Police say sometime around midnight, a teenager was shot in Bienville square, near where The Commodores were playing.

Mobile police tell us the teenager was shot in the leg, but thankfully the injury was non-life threatening.

It happened near Bienville square, which was packed with people watching the moon pie drop, and a huge group of people ran away as the shots were fired.

It was a moment in time.

"Right at midnight,” said witness Cheryl Nguyen.

And it was celebrated with a moonpie and dazzling fireworks.

"it was just so nice until THAT happened,” said Nguyen.

Mobile police say a teenager was shot.

Nguyen said, "All of a sudden, a big fight broke out and next thing you hear is like 4 or 5 pops- pow pow pow! And then everybody started running."

"They were hollerin' screaming,” recalled another man named ‘Samuel.’

In cell phone video shot by Fox10 News reporter Steve Alexander, a big crowd is seen during the New Year’s Eve festivities and then a young man in a gray sweat shirt and sweat pants was taken into an ambulance.

Officers say after the fight, a 17-year-old teen was shot in the leg while attempting to leave the area.

Samuel said, "I'm trying to listen for gunshots but every five seconds you hear fireworks going off which was like impossible to distinguish between the two."

Thankfully the incident wasn't worse.

"There’s so many children out here, and they could've just killed an innocent baby,” said Nguyen.

A shocking way to welcome 2013, but thankfully it didn't stop the party.

"The Commodores, they didn't miss a note!" said Samuel.

Detectives are continuing to investigate this case.

If you have any further information, call Mobile police.

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