A recent incident in South Columbus has left one teenager hospitalized and two others in custody following a confrontation with police officers near a community pool and recreation center. As reported by WBNS, the events unfolded when multiple calls alerted the Columbus Division of Police to shots being heard near the Lincoln Pool at approximately 3:15 p.m. yesterday.
Officers stationed at the pool responded and discovered three teenage boys, aged 16 and 15, in the parking lot of the adjacent Barack Recreation Center, Sgt. Joe Albert stated in the same report, one suspect ran from the scene disposing of a gun over a fence and an officer shot another teen after brandishing a firearm while crouching behind a car, this sequence of events escalated quickly as another one of the trio, who did not attempt to run, was found in possession of a BB gun rather than a real firearm.
A neighbor expressed her alarm over the incident to WTOV9, "When the shooting took place, I was like, did you hear that three shots? And I went to the window and saw all the people running, and I said we ain't going nowhere," Kawanna Harris recounted her experience, elaborating further with WTOV9, "Seconds later, there were three more shots. I said, we aren't going anywhere at all."
The Columbus police are dealing with rising concerns surrounding teenagers with firearms, as expressed by Sgt. Albert in a statement obtained by NBC4i, "We're tired of it. We’re tired of teenagers with firearms, I can tell you that. The entire city is tired of it." In response to the event and residents' worries Albert assured the community that it's safe to enjoy public amenities, "We had officers at the pool. Please go out and enjoy the pools. Pools are safe," he said through WTOV9, emphasizing the presence of police officers around such facilities, the incident also prompted an investigation led by the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which is standard procedure following officer-involved shootings, their proximity to a nearby police substation allowed for a swift response to the situation.
