Two children are dead and 15 people were injured after a woman drove her car into a child’s birthday party, Sheriff Troy Goodnough said in a press conference Saturday evening.
The two children who were pronounced dead at the scene were siblings, an 8-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy, according to police.
Around 3 p.m., a woman drove a vehicle through a wall of the Swan Boat Club in Monroe County, Michigan, coming to a stop 25 feet inside, authorities said.
First responders rendered aid to 15 victims at the scene. Nine were transported to local hospitals – either by ambulance or helicopter – with serious life-threatening injuries. Of the nine transported, three were children, and six were adults. Others at the scene were transported by private vehicle to hospitals, the sheriff said.
The 66-year-old suspect was arrested at the scene for suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, causing death and is currently being held at Monroe County Jail, according to Goodnough.
First responders described the scene as “extremely chaotic,” according to Sheriff Goodnough.
The number of people inside the party is still under investigation.
The Swan Boat Club is located on Lake Erie, about 30 miles south of Detroit.
“Please keep everyone involved in your thoughts and prayers,” the facility said in a statement on social media. “We thank everyone for their concern and prayers.”
