On Sunday (June 23), in the early hours of the morning, a shooting incident occurred in the Short North Arts District in Columbus, Ohio, according to authorities. The incident resulted in 10 people being injured, with one victim in critical condition. The Columbus Police Department stated that among the victims were two minors under the age of 18.
The victims, all males aged between 16 and 27, were shot around 2:30 a.m. in the 1100 block of North High Street in Columbus. Local news station WBNS-TV reported that one of the injured individuals is in critical condition, while the other nine are in stable condition.
During a press conference on Sunday, Sergeant Joe Albert of the Columbus Police Department mentioned that following the shooting, officers on duty immediately identified a male suspect in connection with the incident. Albert stated that the suspect was driving a white Honda Civic, traveling the wrong way on North Fourth Street, and then heading westbound along Interstate 670.
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call the Columbus Police Department’s Major Crimes Assault Unit at 614-645-4373 or the Crime Stoppers hotline at 614-461-8477.
In a statement issued by Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant on Sunday evening, the public was urged to provide additional information to the authorities regarding the case. Mayor Andrew Ginther of Columbus, in a statement posted on social media, described the shooting incident as “outrageous” and “unacceptable”.
“Our officers are doing everything they can to protect our families, but they cannot do it alone. Through collaboration, we can and must do better. We need the community to come forward with information to hold the perpetrators of these shootings accountable. We need parents to step up – know where their children and teenagers are and enforce curfews at home,” Ginther said.
“We need state and federal governments to intensify efforts to prevent guns from getting on the streets and into the hands of violent criminals,” he added.
According to local media outlet WCMH, this is the second major shooting incident to occur in the Short North area of Columbus within 13 months. On May 6, 2023, two separate shooting incidents took place in the area, resulting in at least 10 people being injured.