Columbus police looking for persons of interest in fatal gym shooting

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Columbus Division of Police is asking the public for help in identifying two persons of interest in a fatal shooting at a west side gym.

At a news conference Thursday, Commander Mark Denner shared photos of two individuals believed to be connected to the death of 23-year-old Tabias Cunningham, who was shot and killed at Esporta gym in the Tanglewood Plaza on Tuesday night. The persons of interest have yet to be identified.

“This was a basketball game," Denner said. "That's all it was – people that were exercising, working out. This did not need to come to this point, but it has, and we are gonna fall back that we are committed to solving this and working tirelessly until we can do that.”

Police arrived to find Cunningham laying on a basketball court, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in critical condition, where medics pronounced him dead at 9:37 p.m.

Denner declined to answer most questions at Thursday's press conference, citing the ongoing investigation. He asked the public for patience and encouraged anyone with knowledge of the shooting or persons of interest to call the Columbus police Homicide Unit at 614-645-4730.