Milwaukee Bucks cancel Game 7 watch party following shootings that injured 21 people

The Milwaukee Bucks are canceling a watch party for Game 7 at the Fiserv Forum plaza following three separate shootings in the downtown bar district of Milwaukee.

The incidents took place during and after the Bucks’ Game 6 loss to the Boston Celtics in the semifinal series of the NBA Playoffs. 21 people were injured, and all victims are all expected to survive.

Bucks want law enforcement to prioritize probe of shootings

The Bucks said in a statement that they are canceling the part “to allow law enforcement to devote needed resources to the continued investigation of last night’s events.”

They condemned the violence and expressed gratitude to local law enforcement for their efforts to contain the situation.

The team made the decision to cancel the party after consulting with city and public safety offices.

The party was expected to bring in a crowd of over 10,000 people.

The city’s mayor, Cavalier Johnson, had earlier announced that they would impose an 11 p.m. curfew on Saturday and Sunday for people under 21, and increase police presence in the affected area.

Three separate incidents of gun violence

The shootings all occurred near the game in a span of two hours.

The first incident took place in the last few minutes of Game 6, wounding three people. Thousands of people had gathered for a watch party in the Deer District outside Fiserv Forum. The shots were fired close enough to the area to spread panic and cause an exodus of Bucks fans.

The other shootings were blocks away from the stadium. The second incident left one person wounded, while the third injured 17.

The area around Fiserv forum is no stranger to violent incidents. This year, gunmen killed two employees of restaurants/bars and hurt two others in two separate occurrences.

The Bucks will face the Celtics for Game 7 at TD Garden in Boston at 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT.