CHATTANOOGA (WRCB)-- Chattanooga police say the Christmas Day shootings downtown are the result of a fight between rival gangs.
Police Sergeant Jerri Weary tells Channel 3, four adults and five juveniles were shot during a fight involving about 400 teens, leaving a party from Fathom.
Weary says, the nine victims were hit when one of the gang members fired random shots at the crowd, causing a member of the opposing gang to fire back.
As police attempted to identify the gunmen, Weary says a suspect pointed a gun at Officer Jacques Weary, who fired four shots at the suspect as he escaped on foot.
Police have not identified the man and are unsure if he was hit.
Officer Jacques Weary has been placed on administrative leave, a standard procedure for all officer-involved shootings.
Three of the nine victims were hospitalized for what are believed to be non-life threatening injuries.
At the same time, police were at 1202 Poplar Street for a separate shooting.
The details of that one are still surfacing, but Sgt. Weary says 18-year-old Thomas Heffner was shot in the hand when the passenger of a black Chevy stepped out and fired rounds.
Meanwhile, Weary says police were called to the 2500 block of Oak Street, where homeowners say the suspects from the Cherry Street incident threatened to shoot up their house.
Weary says no suspects, or evidence of a shooting were found.
Police eventually questioned three juveniles, but Weary says no charges have been filed in any of the incidents.
She says police are working to determine how or if these shootings are related and continue to gather evidence.
Stay with WRCBtv.com for updates to this on-going investigation.
[READ MORE: UPDATE 3: 9 people shot Downtown on Christmas morning]
