COLUMBUS, Ohio — A 13-year-old boy is recovering in the hospital after being shot Wednesday night on Canonby Place in South Franklinton. This is just one of the recent shootings that took place at a troubled apartment complex.
Last year, Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein filed a lawsuit against Southpark Apartments, citing hundreds of police calls and code violations in the past few years. It was then deemed a nuisance in January 2023.
Southpark Apartments, a 356-unit complex, is one of the largest affordable housing developments in Columbus with many small children and families living there.
For years now, one woman has been running a program to feed kids during the summer months at the complex.
“All my babies out here, these are all my babies. We feed them breakfast and lunch every day,” said Angela Byrd.
Byrd has lived in the area for more than 20 years and is concerned about the violence.
"It scares me a lot, especially having something open like this with all my kids out here. I want to do activities and stuff, but I don't know when to say 'hit the ground,'” she said.
In the past 10 days, there have been three shootings that injured five people.
The first happened on May 29, when Columbus police said a 14-year-old girl was caught in the crossfire between two groups.
On June 3, three women were shot as they attended a vigil early in the morning. Officers with the Columbus Division of Police arrested Sagittarius Lamar in connection to the shooting.
Then, on Wednesday night, a 13-year-old boy was shot.
All of those who were injured are expected to survive.
“The concentration of violence is clearly concerning. The good news is that Southpark is under a court order," said Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein. "The owners have been working with my office, hand in glove since we got the court order placed at the beginning of this year."
Security concerns date back to July 2021.
Between Aug. 1, 2021 and July 21, 2022, Columbus police responded to the premises more than 800 times.
To better monitor the area, the owners have agreed to add security, cameras and lighting. The city is also working on adding license plate readers.
“I think it just demonstrates how complex these problems are. It's not just one light or one camera. It is going to be a series of investments,” Klein said of the recent shootings.
He said the city should also consider adding ShotSpotter or city crime cameras.
Byrd said she sees more Columbus police patrolling the complex now than ever.
She just wants a safe community for everyone who lives there.
“We all should be able to come out and be a community,” she said.