WESTERVILLE, Ohio — The mother of a 16-year-old boy accused of firing a gun at another car in Westerville says her son felt pressured by others in the car to admit to the shooting that happened earlier this week.
The teen is charged with one count each of improperly handling a firearm, tampering with evidence and criminal damaging.
According to 911 callers, gunfire began to ring around 7 p.m. Wednesday on Cleveland Avenue near Main Street and continued for a mile toward the intersection of Mount Carmel St. Ann’s hospital and Sharon Woods.
No injuries were reported.
According to police reports, police spotted the car the 16-year-old was in because the car was in a handicapped parking spot where it shouldn’t have been.
Reports also indicate that the driver of the vehicle admitted to having a gun in the car but did not say who it was that had it or who did the shooting.
According to court records, the 16-year-old admitted to shooting the gun and later throwing the gun away in the woods.
The mother said her son and other people were headed to a basketball game at Westerville South High School on the night the shooting happened.
10TV is not identifying the teenager or his mother due to the juvenile's age.
She added that her son was the passenger inside the car when it was followed by an SUV involved in the shooting.
The mother was told by her son that the people inside the SUV began firing shots first.
“It’s very sad. It’s scary. I’m heartbroken. Someone could have hurt or killed. It’s so upsetting,” the mother said.
His mother says her son has never been in trouble before.