Teenager dead, two wounded when birthday party erupts in gunfire
The “Sweet 16” birthday party on the Near East Side ended in a hail of gunfire that left one young man dead and two teenage boys wounded late Saturday night.
Tyquan Keion Lackey, 18, who was also known by the nickname T major, suffered fatal gunshot wounds when the shooting erupted outside Vern’s Place in the 1600 block of Maryland Avenue at around 10:50 p.m.
Lackey was pronounced dead at 11:26 p.m. Saturday at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center. He is the city’s 21st homicide this year.
Two 17-year-old boys were taken in stable condition to the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University. All three of them were found shot in an alley outside of Vern’s Place.
Columbus police homicide detectives were not releasing their names because the person or persons responsible are still at large.
Monte Lige, an assistant pastor at Power City Church on the Near East Side, lives on Maryland Avenue and heard all the commotion.
“I heard some shots and saw people running and stuff,” Lige said. “At first there were about eight to 10 shots and then there were three more shots.”
Lige said it sounded like more than one type of gun was fired. He said a number of the teenagers gathered in a neighbor’s backyard immediately following the shooting as Columbus police officers and fire paramedics descended on the scene.
Witnesses said the party at Vern’s Place was to celebrate a “Sweet 16” birthday and that the violence might have been gang-related, police said.
Remnants of yellow crime scene tape and a crumpled “Happy Birthday” banner were still visible on the ground outside of Vern’s Place Sunday afternoon.
Valerie Lackey, Tyquan’s mother, expressed her deep grief in multiple Facebook postings.
“They took my son away from me. I don’t know what to do or feel. My heart hurts so bad,” she wrote.