A female juvenile was shot Saturday night near Noor Islamic Cultural Center in Hilliard and taken to Nationwide Children's Hospital, where she was listed in stable condition, according to a city spokesperson. Hilliard Division of Police officers responded to the mosque around 9:50 p.m. after a report of shots fired near 5001 Wilcox Road.
The suspect fled the scene before officers arrived, and authorities later recovered a gun, the city said, as reported by 10TV. A city spokesperson said there was no ongoing threat to the public at that time, even as investigators worked to piece together what happened.
What Investigators Have — and Haven't — Said
Beyond confirming the girl's condition and the recovered firearm, officials have offered few specifics. The spokesperson said no additional details about what led to the shooting were immediately available, and the case remains under investigation, per the same account. No information has been released about who fired the shots or what prompted the gunfire.
A separate, lower-confidence video report attributed to Hilliard Police Chief Mike Woods describes at least 20 shots fired, with several rounds striking a victim's car and the facility itself, though that account could not be confirmed against the details released about Saturday's shooting.
A Community Hub With a History of Large Gatherings
Noor Islamic Cultural Center has long drawn large crowds to its Wilcox Road campus. During the pandemic, the center held two outdoor Eid prayer services that each drew about 170 cars, according to The Columbus Dispatch. That history underscores how central the site is to the local community, even as Saturday's shooting remains unexplained.
For now, Hilliard police continue to investigate, and no arrests or charges have been announced. Anyone with information has not yet been given a specific way to come forward, as city officials have not released further guidance beyond confirming the basic facts of the case.
