COLUMBUS, Ohio — One man is dead and another is in custody after a shooting at the Wedgewood Village Apartments in the Hilltop neighborhood over the weekend.
The shooting happened around 9:45 p.m. on Sunday when police said 20-year-old Hassan Abdalla shot and killed 21-year-old Said Arbo. Shortly after the shooting, dispatchers said Abdalla called them, wanting to turn himself in.
Since October, the city has been working with the complex owners on increasing security to decrease violent crimes like this.
“It's extremely sad. I felt the same wave of sadness going through my mind and my body I have felt before, several times unfortunately,” said Zerqa Abid.
Abid is the founder of MyProjectUSA in the Hilltop, a nonprofit that runs soccer clubs and youth programs for kids in the Wedgewood area.
“The saddest thing for me is not that we have lost one young man, but we lost him at the hand of another young man,” Abid said.
There have been 53 homicides in the city of Columbus so far this year, there were 36 at this point last year.
“There is a sense of frustration that it is one step forward, two steps back,” said Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein
While Klein contends violence shouldn't be accepted anywhere, his office is working hard to clear the yellow tape from Wedgewood.
“Hire more police officers and support them in their actions. Make sure when people get caught for their crimes that they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and that they are held accountable for it. Three, invest in the people,” Klein said.
Klein explains complex owners have given the Columbus Division of Police access to the apartments security cameras, and the city is working to install additional cameras.
Klein said the police department has increased patrols in the neighborhood and Wedgewood will be adding their own private security in addition to special duty Columbus police officers.
“You have to invest in the community. You have to invest in the kids and making sure they stop stealing cars or whether it is folks who live in Wedgewood who have cultural differences, they need extra help in getting social services,” Klein said.
Abid said her group is trying to work with the 2,000 who live at Wedgewood and said programming is making a difference.
“More youth programs, more investment into wrap-around services. We have done a little bit and we have seen big impact of that, “ Abid said.