Oklahoma’s 7 Clans Casino Sees Four Wounded Victims Found Near Property

Posted on: May 4, 2022, 11:18h. 

Last updated on: May 4, 2022, 11:42h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More

Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

Four unnamed victims were discovered shot Tuesday near the 7 Clans First Council Casino Hotel of Newkirk, Okla. Three remain hospitalized and one was released after undergoing treatment. Each suffered gunshot wounds.

The unnamed individuals were located on Tuesday by deputies in a rural area close to the casino. The venue is nearby US Route 77. The gaming property is south of the Kansas-Oklahoma state line, Hays Post, a local news organization, reported.

Ambulances rushed two of the victims to the Alliance Hospital in Ponca City, Okla. The other two were transported to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kan. One of the patients was released from Wesley Medical Center.

7 Clans Casinos are owned and operated by the Otoe-Missouria Development Authority (OMDA). It is the enterprise and economic branch of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians.

The casino complex has a hotel, a two-story gaming venue, and a waterpark. The gaming floor includes 1,200 slot machines, as well as tables featuring live craps, blackjack, and roulette games.

The Cowley County Sheriff’s Office located in Kansas has launched an investigation. Also taking part in the inquiry are the Arkansas City Police Department, Kansas Highway Patrol, Kay County Sheriff’s Office, Otoe-Missouria Tribal Police, and the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation.

Few Details on Shootings

None of the law enforcement agencies released details on the investigation. It was unclear how many shots were fired. Nor was there a clear motive. Neither were details released on the wounded individuals.

Through information gathered, [it was discovered that] the shooting occurred in rural Cowley County,” the Cowley County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Tuesday, KAKE, a local TV station, reported. “The investigation is still pending at this time.”

The sheriff’s office did not identify the victims. Nor did it specify if the deputies know of a suspect or person of interest in the case.

No description was released of the suspect or suspects.

Ransomware in Oklahoma

Last June all six Lucky Star Casino locations in Oklahoma were closed temporarily after a ransomware attack penetrated the venues’ information technology (IT) networks.

Owned and operated by the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, Lucky Star has casinos in Concho, Clinton, Canton, and Watonga. The tribes also have gaming parlors inside their travel centers in Hammon and Concho.

The tribes confirmed that a cyberattack was responsible.