COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two teenagers were shot less than an hour apart in Columbus early Thursday morning.
The first shooting happened around 2 a.m. in the South Linden neighborhood in the area of East 20th and Jefferson avenues. A 15-year-old boy was struck in the buttocks and is expected to survive.
The second shooting happened around 3 a.m. on Clarendon Avenue and Fairfield Place in the Hilltop neighborhood. A 19-year-old man was shot and taken to Grant Medical Center in critical condition. He is also expected to survive.
“There was an argument about 10 seconds before the gunfire went off. It was a girl out this way. It sounded like it was out front of the daycare. Next thing you know it sounded like 100 bullets flying,” said Chelsea, who was a witness to the Hilltop shooting.
Chelsea said a group of teens ran in front of her home, shooting at each other.
The Columbus Division of Police said its detectives have been working nonstop trying to figure out who is involved.
“It was a large crime scene and it is a lot of work. The detectives have not stopped working on it since this began early this morning,” said Columbus Division of Police Major Crimes Commander Mark Denner.
As of Monday, there have been 427 felonious assaults in the city this year. Compare that to 401 last year and 194 in 2020.
Of the victims this year, 153 of them have been 21 years old and younger.
Columbus police are concerned so many young teens have been involved in shootings, especially with summer break coming up.
“We are exploring all options and will continue to look at the numbers and the programs that work. Our hope is that we will be able to have some type of impact and hopefully people will make good decisions,” Denner said.
Chelsea said something needs to be done about violent teens because this shooting happened way too close to her home.
“I had to help my husband snatch my daughter out of bed because they found a casing right here, that's when I knew it was too close,” Chelsea said.
No arrests have been made in either shooting.