Near East Side gunfight ends with one dead
The two men argued and then exchanged gunfire at a Near East Side parking lot, leaving one of them dead Wednesday afternoon.
Columbus police and fire paramedics were called at 3:31 p.m. to a parking lot outside of the Alcastle convenience store, which is on St. Clair Avenue at the corner of Old Leonard Avenue.
One man wounded and down was rushed to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 3:53 p.m., police said.
Sgt. Stan Latta, supervisor of the second-shift homicide unit, said the initial reports are that the two men were firing at each other. He was not releasing the age of the victim, other than to say he was an adult.
Columbus police gang unit officers were at the scene during the early stages of the investigation. The Near East Side neighborhood, which borders Interstate 670, is known for gang activity.
Police put out an alert to watch for a white Chevrolet Impala with tinted windows which was spotted fleeing the scene after the shooting. At least one of the windows could have bullet holes in it, the alert said.
A large area surrounding the Alcastle carryout’s gravel parking lot, a portion of a neighboring church’s paved parking lot and an alley were cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape. Old Leonard Avenue was also shut down bordering the Sawyer Manor townhouses, which are run by the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Columbus police at 614-645-4730 or remain anonymous by calling Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS.