Cleveland law enforcement personnel are searching for the suspect of a shooting that left nine people injured early Sunday morning.
During a press conference, officials revealed that the mass shooting incident occurred around 2:25 a.m. in downtown Cleveland on West 6th and Johnson Court. Cleveland Police Chief Wayne Drummond added that two uniformed officers and their marked cars were "right at the corner" of West St. Clair and West 6th when someone started firing into a crowd.
Cleveland Shooting Injures 9 People
Drummond added that additional officers were also in the immediate area of the shooting, saying that the personnel quickly ran toward the gunfire and found the victims, rendering first aid for their injuries.
Authorities said that seven of the victims were men, and the other two were women, ranging in age from 23 to 38. Officials found that one of the male victims was in serious condition after the incident, while the others suffered non-life-threatening injuries, as per The Blaze.
The Cleveland police chief added that the situation was not a matter of police response but police visibility. He explained that police officers were assigned to where the shooting occurred as part of their regular detail and were readily visible.
Drummond said that the suspect in the mass shooting was a Black male who may have had a gold grill in his mouth. He added that officials do have some leads regarding the shooter but noted that they had indications from investigators regarding what led to the shooting.
On the other hand, Democratic Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb criticized Ohio Republicans following the shooting, blaming the GOP, to some extent, for the suspect's actions. He said that last summer, the Republican-led legislature in Columbus passed Senate Bill 215, followed by an uptick in shootings across his state.
Bibb said that it was a "tragic and sad day" that he argued showed the massive gun problem that currently exists, not only in Cleveland but across the United States. According to Aljazeera, he called on American legislators to give city leaders more tools to address the proliferation of firearms.
Addressing Surging Violent Crime
A police statement said that investigators handling the case were currently reviewing evidence and video footage and interviewing the victims at MetroHealth Medical Center.
Drummond said that initial investigation suggested that the shooting came suddenly, without warning, and had no apparent provocation. He added that investigators had not indicated any issues or concerns in the area before the suspect began firing at the victims.
Authorities have now put up a $5,000 reward for any useful information that could lead to the arrest and prosecution of the shooter. The Cleveland police chief noted they were also investigating another shooting at around 1:10 a.m. on Sunday.
That incident injured three people, and Drummond said that investigators found no evidence that connected the two shootings. The police chief added that before the first shooting, there was a street party followed by an argument, said ABC News.
