Shooting toward end of Boston Celtics-Milwaukee Bucks Game 6 sends fans at packed Deer District fleeing through streets

ByJAMAL COLLIER
May 14, 2022, 1:29 AM

MILWAUKEE -- Three people were shot near Deer District outside Fiserv Forum toward the end of Friday night's Game 6 between the Bucks and Celtics, sending fans fleeing through the streets. 

The Milwaukee Fire Department said a man and a 16-year-old girl who were shot were transported to a local hospital Friday night, while a third person drove there. All three have non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said a 19-year-old man was in custody and that charges were pending a review by the Milwaukee County district attorney's office.

"The incident took place outside of the Deer District area," Bucks chief communications officer Barry Baum said in a statement to ESPN. "We direct all questions to the Milwaukee Police Department."

A few hours later, a second shooting less than a mile from Fiserv Forum left 17 people with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Ten people were taken into custody and nine firearms were recovered from that shooting.

Milwaukee Police did not say whether the two shootings were connected. Investigations into both shootings are ongoing.

Bucks fans began packing into Deer District during the team's run to the NBA championship last season. With a chance to clinch the Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Celtics and on a warm day following a long winter, Friday was the first opportunity for fans to pick up the tradition. The team had set up metal detectors surrounding the bars and entrance to the stage outside the arena.

The shooting took place outside that perimeter, about one block from Fiserv Forum.

The Bucks announced before the game that Deer District had reached the 11,000-person capacity set for the watch party before Game 6.

Witnesses outside the arena said they heard gunshots with a little more than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter of Boston's 108-95 victory, and those shots sent many in the crowd into a frenzy, running in several directions. Witnesses also told WTMJ-TV that they saw a fight outside a bar after the game.

A large police presence remained outside the arena hours after the game, with police taping off several intersections nearby.

The series is tied 3-3.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.