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Witnesses recount a scene of absolute pandery. Parents, driven by a primal instinct for protection, lunged through the air to tackle their children to the grass, using their own bodies as shields against the lead raining down upon the festivities. In the cramped quarters of the backyard, there was nowhere to run and very few places to hide. The joyful clutter of the party—overturned plastic chairs, half-eaten plates of food, and scattered gift wrap—became obstacles in a desperate scramble for survival. One neighbor, who rushed to his window upon hearing the commotion, described seeing a sea of colorful decorations through a haze of smoke and dust, noting the haunting image of a “Happy Birthday” banner sagging as it was peppered by stray rounds.
