Drive-by shooting victim hit while playing basketball
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A 22-year-old man is recovering after being shot while playing basketball on Thursday in east Columbus.
People who live in the Berwick neighborhood said they are in shock and that the incident is out of character for this area of town. Columbus police said it was a drive-by shooting, and it happened on the basketball court near Berwick Alternative Elementary School.
Julie Marcinek said the Berwick is usually a safe neighborhood.
“We've been here almost four years, nothing like that has ever happened here before,” Marcinek said.
She said she and her husband were sitting on their patio Thursday night when they heard the sound of “pops.”
“Honestly I didn't think anything of the pops, maybe some fireworks or something,” Marcinek said.
That is until she saw police swarm the area of Scottwood Road near the school. Police said the victim is expected to survive, and they are still searching for a suspect and a motive.
“We had actually all been there and there had been a big kid hangout at that playground maybe 45 minutes before this happened so lots of the moms in the neighborhood just texting around and feeling a little shaken by it,” Marcinek said.
Columbus police said this is the second drive-by shooting in the city this week.
On Tuesday, a 16-year-old was shot on East 18th St. while walking her younger sibling to the bus stop. Police have not found the shooter.
“People are going to get ready to go to work or school and we have somebody that would decide to open fire in a residential neighborhood and put so many people in jeopardy,” said Commander Mark Denner with the Columbus Division of Police.
Commander Denner said investigators are still searching for suspects in both those incidents. He said if you know something, say something.
“The juveniles who were impacted by this how does that affect their wellbeing and their mental state as they decide hey can I go back out can I walk to school, can I get on the bus, can I go play basketball. So I think of the wellbeing of those individuals as well,” Denner said.