MILTON-FREEWATER — Milton-Freewater police reported that a shooting just after midnight, Saturday, Aug. 20, had left several people wounded.

MFPD in a news release reported the city’s dispatch center received 911 calls about the shooting in the area of 115 S.W. First Ave. Milton-Freewater police responded and “discovered that multiple shots had been fired, and several victims suffered gunshot wounds.”

A multi-agency response occurred, including Washington state agencies, Umatilla/Morrow Major Crimes team and the Oregon State Police Crime Lab, which processed the scene for evidence. Members of the Umatilla District Attorney’s Office also responded.

Milton-Freewater Rural Fire District Chief Rick Saager said his medics responded to the scene. Milton-Freewater police reported several victims were transported to Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla. Officials there confirmed the hospital went into a secure lock down because of the emergency.

A family living in the area of town between McLoughlin High School and the Milton-Freewater Golf Course was awoken by the shooting that occurred on their street, Southwest First Avenue, at just after midnight, Saturday, Aug. 20.

Washington resident Amber Reyes said she saw scanner news of the shooting on Facebook during the night and contacted her aunt, knowing the shooting had happened in that neighborhood.

“Her house has been tagged with graffiti numerous times, so I instantly messaged her, ‘Auntie, are you OK?’”

The woman is in her late 60s, and her family declined to name her.

Reyes said her aunt responded, telling her niece she was shaking badly and bullets were everywhere in her house.

Dustin Maple, the woman’s grandson, lives nearby and went right away to fetch his grandmother and his cousin to his own home.

Maple said one of the bullets had gone through the headboard of the bed his cousin was sleeping in, shattering the wood. As well, a window was shot out and several other bullets went into walls throughout the home his grandmother rents.

The woman told Maple she’d heard an altercation between people just before the shooting began shortly around midnight.

Maple said he was barely able to get his family out of the area to avoid being cordoned off inside the crime scene. Milton-Freewater police reported the investigation is ongoing and no further details can be released at this time.

— The East Oregonian contributed to this story.