ATF offers $5,000 reward for March 3 shooting
A $5,000 reward has been offered for two suspects in the March 3 shooting at Polaris Fashion Place and more photos have been issued of a suspect and possible associates in a second shooting there Monday.
Meanwhile, Easton Town Center, the other major Columbus shopping attraction, also became the scene of gunfire Wednesday night.
According to Columbus police, two men said a gunshot was fired at them around 9:50 a.m. on Townsfair Way after a "verbal altercation" with a person in a silver Dodge Charger. Neither of the men was struck.
The area of the shopping complex where the situation occurred is near the Cheesecake Factory, The Shade Shop and other retail stores. There is also a parking lot in the area. Police did not identify exactly where the shot was fired.
It is the second incident this week and third in March of gunshots being fired at the city's major shopping malls.
On Monday, police responded to Polaris Fashion Place after multiple gunshots were fired around 3:15 p.m. Nobody was injured in that incident.
On Wednesday night, Columbus police released additional surveillance images of the possible gunman.
The shooting took place in a rotunda area on the first floor of the mall, police said, after a confrontation between two groups of young people escalated.
Police released surveillance images the next day asking for the public's assistance to identify those involved, including the suspected gunman, who was wearing a yellow hooded sweatshirt with a distinctive black box with a white object that appeared to be a car on the back. He also wore jeans of various blue shades and was carrying a bag that appeared to be merchandise purchased in the store.
Police have not publicly released any names of the suspected gunman and others involved in Monday's altercation, but authorities are searching for two young men identified as the gunmen in the March shooting inside Polaris.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for information leading to the arrests and convictions of those two men who exchanged gunfire on March 3 inside Polaris Fashion Place.
Anthony Deshawn Truss Jr., 21, of Reynoldsburg, and 25-year-old Levon Sommerville, of the Northeast Side, are wanted by Columbus police and ATF in connection with the shooting that investigators have said stemmed from a domestic incident.
Both men have warrants for their arrest on a charge of felony assault filed against them in Delaware County, where Polaris is located but is a part of Columbus annexed by the city.
The shootout occurred after the two got into an argument inside the Carter's/osh Kosh B'gosh store, located on the first floor of Polaris, around 12:30 p.m. March 3, Columbus police have said. Somerville is suspected of firing inside the store at Truss, who returned fire outside the store in the mall as his assailant walked away.
No one was struck or injured by gunfire, police said.
Despite a statement by Columbus police immediately after the shooting indicating that they knew the identities of the gunmen and advising that they turn themselves in, police soon had to ask the public's help in identifying the two men.
Truss was the first to be identified publicly by police on March 8, five days after shooting.
Columbus police identified Sommerville as the second suspect involved last Friday, but did not release a photo of him until a pre-scheduled social media post on Monday. Ironically, that was posted about 10 minutes after Monday's second report of gunfire inside Polaris.
Those with information on the March 3 shooting suspects can call 1-888-ATFTIPS (283-8477), email atftips@atf.gov, contact ATF through its website at www.atf.gov/contact/atf-tips or use the Reportit mobile application. Tipsters may also contact the Columbus Division of Police by calling 614-645-4141 or 614645-4100, or by emailing socialmedia@columbuspolice.org. elagatta@dispatch.com @Ericlagatta