Oklahoma City and Thunder officials are in the process of determining whether watch parties will continue to be held at Thunder Alley outside Chesapeake Energy Arena during home playoff games.
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At least eight people were wounded by gunfire and a pregnant woman was injured following the Thunder's 106-90 playoff victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night. Shots reportedly were fired about three blocks east of Thunder Alley, which is on Reno Avenue between Chesapeake Arena and the Cox Convention Center.
"We're very disappointed," Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said during Tuesday's city council meeting. "I think the entire city was excited about the basketball win, and to see the results that took place on the streets a little bit later I think put a cloud over the entire evening. We're trying to figure out now what to do to try and diminish the chances that it might happen again."
Dan Mahoney, the Thunder's vice president of corporate communications, said in a statement: "We are saddened to hear of the violence following the game last night. It put a damper on what was otherwise an exciting night for Oklahoma City and the Thunder. We are in communication with the Oklahoma City police department to determine exactly what happened and if there was any way for it to be prevented.
"Our top priority always is to make our games and Thunder Alley safe, fun environments for our fans. We will continue to work closely with law enforcement and the city to review security and crowd control procedures and we stand ready to make any necessary changes to ensure safety."
Thunder Alley originally was an occasional pre-game party that included interactive games, concessions, and merchandise. It began three hours before tipoff and would shut down once the game started.
During this year's playoffs, fans were invited to bring chairs and blankets to Thunder Alley and watch the game on a new video display board (74 feet tall by 20 feet wide) that was mounted on the northwest side of Chesapeake Arena during the offseason.
Crowds normally consisted of 2,000-3,000 people watching the game outside the arena, but swelled to an estimated 8,000-10,000 people on Monday night and watched the Thunder advance to the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
"It's gotten more and more intense every time we're been out here," said Tyler Maxwell of Oklahoma City, who watched games in Thunder Alley throughout the playoffs. "The playoffs are (good) for our city, but they're starting to bring violence. I can't imagine what would happen if this was the NBA Finals."
Tasha Bacon of Oklahoma City watched Monday's game alongside Maxwell.
"We were walking around and every other person was saying, 'I'm scared,' " Bacon said. "We come down here all the time and have never seen anything like this."
Cornett and Police Chief Bill Citty were scheduled to meet Tuesday afternoon to discuss the police presence downtown on game nights and if anything needed to change in that regard.
"I hope that those individuals that were unfortunately the victims of some terrible behavior after the game that was reported last night are doing fine, and hope that their recovery will be best," Ward 7 Councilman Skip Kelly said. "It's just unfortunate that we have such great things, and then someone creates an atmosphere that causes bodily harm to other citizens. But I think the city of Oklahoma City should be proud of what we've accomplished in reference to the NBA and what is done on a national basis for this state and this city."
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call investigators at 297-1126 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. or Crime Stoppers at 235-7300.
Michael Kimball contributed to this report.
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