Global Courant
Nine people were shot in Cleveland’s historic Warehouse District early Sunday when a gunman opened fire as bars and nightclubs closed and nearby police officers patrolled the bustling entertainment district, Cleveland police said.
Police officers were on weekend patrol in the Warehouse District when they heard gunshots at 2:25 a.m. They discovered multiple victims at the corner of West 6th Street and Johnson Court suffering from gunshot wounds and requiring medical attention, police said.
Cleveland police chief Wayne Drummond said at a news conference Sunday that several officers were on duty in the area when a “person started shooting into the crowd.”
“I emphasize, we had officers assigned here… a very visible presence of officers, but this individual decided to use that weapon and shot individuals even with our officers here,” Drummond said. “So it’s not a question of police action. It’s not a question of police visibility, because we were here and we will stay here.”
Cleveland Police Chief Wayne Drummond informs reporters on July 9, 2023 of a shooting in the city’s Warehouse District that left nine people injured.
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Cmdr. Richard Tucker of the Cleveland Police Department said the gunman opened fire 50 to 80 feet away from the crowd he was targeting before fleeing the scene.
“I’m very proud of our officers. They were here and responded immediately. They ran to the gunfire and tended to the victims until EMS could respond,” said Drummond. “I hope what they did was able to save some of those victims.”
No arrests have been announced and a motive for the shooting is still under investigation, police said.
“Detectives are reviewing evidence and videos, as well as interviewing victims at MetroHealth Medical Center,” the police statement said.
One victim was in critical condition on Sunday afternoon, while the others were in serious to stable condition, police said.
Of the nine victims, seven are men and two women, officials said. The victims ranged in age from 23 to 38 years.
The victims were all treated at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland.
Drummond said the preliminary investigation indicates the shooting happened without warning and without apparent provocation.
“We have no information, at least at this time, from our investigators that there were any sort of issues, concerns, or problems … before this person started firing,” Drummond said.
A reward of $5,000 will be offered for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the shooter, authorities said.
Police are asking people with information about the shooting to call immediately.
Drummond said investigators are following several leads in an attempt to identify the shooter.
Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb said he was thankful no one was killed and that the shooting illustrates “the massive gun problem we have, not just in Cleveland, not just in Ohio, but across this country.”
Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb speaks at a news conference on July 9, 2023 about a shooting in his city’s Warehouse District that left nine people injured.
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Drummond said police are also investigating a shooting that occurred at 1:10 a.m. Sunday on West 6th Street in the neighboring Tremont area that left three men injured. The chief said investigators have found no evidence linking that shooting to the mass casualty incident that erupted 95 minutes later.
“As far as we know now, there was some sort of street party and an argument ensued. One person pulled out a gun and started shooting and three persons were hit there,” Drummond said, adding that all three victims were compensated. imminent injuries.
No arrests have been announced in the Tremont neighborhood shooting.
The shooting came just days after 22 mass shootings occurred across the country over the July 4 long holiday weekend, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a website that tracks shootings across the country and defines a mass shooting as a single event involving four or more casualties either wounded or killed. The mass shootings took place in 17 states and Washington, D.C., according to the website, and shook several major cities, including Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago and Fort Worth, Texas.
