FORSYTH, Ga. — Forsyth Police are investigating how a high school graduation party turned violent Saturday night.
A total of three teens were shot-- including Mary Persons football player DJ Walton, a 19-year-old male from Macon and a 19-year-old male from Jackson.
13WMAZ spoke by phone to Terrance Walton, DJ's father. He says the bullet hit DJ in the lower back. The bullet hit his intestines, but luckily missed his spine.
So far, Walton already had one surgery. He says DJ will have to do at least one more surgery to actually remove the bullet.
Walton says he and their family are still wrapping their heads around how a shooting could happen at a graduation party in the usually quiet town of Forsyth.
DJ Walton's family shared video of the Mary Persons football player taking his first steps in Atrium Health Navicent after being shot at his cousin's graduation party.
Terrance Walton says the party was for five Mary Persons graduating seniors.
"It's unbelievable, really, because when you go to stuff like that, it's supposed to be a celebration of something to have it happen. You know, during a celebration is hard to comprehend," Walton said.
Forsyth investigators are also working to understand.
An incident report describes the chaotic scene first responders arrived to on Milledge Circle just after midnight. They had to shuffle through a crowd of screaming people.
"There was maybe at least 300 people or more," said Sgt. Terrance Thomas.
First responders found one victim shot and leaning over a propane tank, DJ Walton laying on the ground down the road, and later a third person shot in the leg.
"Seems like there was a group that had some kind of disagreements and that point, shots rang out," Thomas said.
Sgt. Thomas says investigators now believe at least three men pulled guns and started shooting. Investigators collected roughly 17 rounds there.
According to the report, witnesses told police that at least one of the shooters was in a yellow Dodge Charger. There's no description of the second vehicle the other shooters were in.
Thomas says they're still investigating whether this was targeted or random.
The police department says all three victims suffered non-life threatening injuries and are expected to recover.
Forsyth investigators say if you have any information on the shooters call 478-993-1005.