A Winston-Salem teenager is facing multiple criminal charges after police say he fired a weapon during a violent confrontation at a crowded public park, sparking panic among families and children nearby.

According to the Winston-Salem Police Department, officers rushed to Sedge Garden Park on Robbins Road on April 15 after receiving reports that a gunshot had been fired during a fight involving several people.

Investigators say the suspect, identified as 18-year-old Emir Rodriguez-Bruno, allegedly pulled out what witnesses described as an AR-15-style firearm and fired during the chaos. Video circulating online appears to show a young man removing a rifle from a bag moments before gunshots ring out, sending people scrambling for safety.

Miraculously, no injuries were reported.

Police said the department’s Gang Unit identified Rodriguez-Bruno the following day and took him into custody on April 17.

He now faces charges including going armed to the terror of the public, carrying a concealed weapon, discharging a firearm within city limits, and possessing a firearm in a city park. Authorities said he was released on a $5,000 unsecured bond.

Investigators stressed that the incident is not connected to the deadly mass shooting at Leinbach Park that occurred just days later on April 20.

For residents who were at the park that afternoon, however, the terrifying scenes are still fresh.

Jean Cummings, a Winston-Salem resident who regularly visits the park to play pickleball, said the violence unfolded right in front of her.

“Fights broke out and spilled out in front of my car, and that’s when the shots went off,” Cummings recalled. “When I heard the shots, that’s when I got really scared. I ducked under my car.”

Cummings said people immediately began running in every direction as panic spread through the park.

“People started scattering everywhere, going in the woods, going across the street, trying to get into their cars,” she said. “I could not get out of the parking lot because of all of the mayhem.”

The circulating video has only intensified concerns among local residents, many of whom say public parks no longer feel safe.

“All of the ladies that play in our pickleball team … come in a pack,” Cummings explained. “We come out together. We go in together.”

The frightening incident has fueled growing anxiety in Winston-Salem as community members grapple with a recent rise in gun-related violence involving young people.

Police have not released additional details about what sparked the fight, and the investigation remains ongoing.