COLUMBUS, Ohio — Five people were shot, three of them fatally, in five separate shootings in north and east Columbus on Wednesday.
Around 12:35 a.m., the Columbus Division of Police was called to the 2900 block of East 10th Avenue.
Police said the shooting may have started near a picnic table and multiple shell casings were found, but officers did not find a victim.
Detectives learned that a 32-year-old man walked into a hospital a short time later. He had gunshot wounds on parts of his upper body. Police said his condition was initially critical, but has since improved.
Officers were called to the area of East Livingston Avenue and Barnett Road around 1:10 a.m.
The shooting victim was taken to Mount Carmel East and his condition was described as stable.
Officers were called around 2:30 a.m. at Beechcroft Road and Forest Village Lane, just south of East Dublin Granville Road.
The shooting victim, who police say was a man in his 30s, was taken to Riverside Methodist Hospital and he was pronounced dead at 2:58 a.m.
Police arrested Lok Nath Acharya, 25, and charged him with a count of Reckless Homicide. He was booked at the Franklin County Jail.
Investigators learned that Acharya was alerted by a friend to a handgun in the bathroom of the Beechcroft Newstand on East Dublin Granville Road, according to Franklin County Municipal Court records.
Archaya entered the store, removed the handgun without alerting employees and took it with him when he got into a truck driven by the shooting victim.
Court records say Acharya began manipulating the firearm while the vehicle was moving when he accidentally discharged the weapon.
The victim was struck in the torso, causing him to crash the vehicle.
Anyone who may have any information on any of the shooting incidents is asked to call Columbus police.
Officers were called to Mike's Carry Out & Grocery located at 1436 South Hamilton Road on reports of a shooting around 1:52 p.m. Police said an employee was fatally shot during what was believed to have been an armed robbery inside the business.
The employee was taken to Mount Carmel East with life-threatening injuries. They were pronounced dead just before 2:30 p.m.
Officers were called to the 2200 block of McGuffey Road around 5 p.m. for a report of a shooting.
A person at the scene was taken to Grant Medical Center in critical condition. Police said they were pronounced dead at 5:23 p.m. No information on any suspects has been released at this time.
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