COLUMBUS, Ohio — Neighbors near Westgate Park on the city's west side are calling for help from the Columbus Division of Police after a fight that led to gunshots this past weekend.
Columbus police said just after midnight on Sunday, they received a notification on ShotSpotter and a large group fighting.
Police said five people from the ages of 16 to 57 told officers they were physically assaulted, and one person was taken to a hospital.
Police arrested 18-year-olds Tyler and Trever Blankenship and charged them with felonious assault.
On Tuesday, 10TV spoke with the organizer of Westgate Watch. He said a park should be peaceful and calm. He didn’t want his identity shared for safety reasons.
"You're seeing families out here walking with their kids, their pets. This is what it's supposed to look like,” he said. "You know as a concerned neighbor and a representative of some neighbors, we really just want a safe community like everybody else.”
He showed 10TV a home security video that captured a fight from Sunday morning.
"We call upon police. Enforcing park hours, it's a simple drive by a police officer once, maybe twice a night,” he said.
Last year, the city placed more than 20 lights and cameras in parks to reduce crime and a few were placed in Westgate.
The city installed the lights and safety cameras after several shootings happened at parks, including one at Westgate in May 2022. A 19-year-old was shot and killed, and a 17-year-old was injured after a fight.
The activist said he wants his community to be a place people continue to come and enjoy.
“That's all we want, and we just want people to consider that."
Police said residents can contact the police department's non-emergency line to ask for extra patrols at specific times or locations.