COLUMBUS, Ohio—Police in Ohio say a person entered an apartment where several people were at a family gathering and began shooting, killing a 15-year-old girl and injuring a 14-year-old boy.
Columbus police say 15-year-old Shamya Saultz and the boy who was injured were among a group of family members and friends inside the apartment when the shooter entered and opened fire around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 6.
The unidentified suspect then fled the apartment, according to police.
“Police say they are looking for one suspect who allegedly, dressed in all black, walked into a home and opened fire at a family gathering, hitting the two teenagers,” WBNS10-TV reported.
BREAKING: 15-year-old girl dies, 14-year-old boy injured in shooting in south Columbus https://t.co/kwfuRO9fGf #10TV pic.twitter.com/CJDSyXlqyO
— 10TV.com (@10TV) June 6, 2019
The injured teens were taken to a hospital where Saultz died shortly before 4 a.m. The boy was in stable condition Thursday.
The investigation and the search for a suspect are continuing.
“Anyone who has information on the shooting is asked to contact Columbus Police Homicide Unit at (614) 645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at (614) 461-TIPS,” 10-TV reported.
15YO GIRL KILLED; 14YO BOY INJURED:
Today, 6/6/19 at 12:32am, Columbus Police were called to 40 West Welch Avenue Apt. C on the report of a shooting.
Anyone with info regarding this case is asked to contact CPD’s Homicide Unit at 614-645-4730 or hconley@columbuspolice.org. pic.twitter.com/Ixx4djOqUu
— Columbus Ohio Police (@ColumbusPolice) June 6, 2019
45 People Were Shot Last Weekend in Chicago
At least 45 people were shot—10 fatally—in Chicago over the weekend, according to Chicago Police spokesperson Ronald Westbrooks.
The violent weekend came as the department announced on Saturday that crime was down 9 percent in the first five months of 2019, compared with the same period last year.
There were 186 homicides through May 31, compared with 200 by the same time last year, according to a police statement.
The department had previously announced a 10 percent decrease in homicides in April.
In April, the department launched a summer safety plan that included increased deployment in high traffic areas and “tech and data-driven” law enforcement efforts.
Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie T. Johnson said in a statement in April that he thought the department was “well-prepared to keep the city safe this summer.”
An uptick in violence often follows a rise in temperature over the summer months in Chicago, where the winter cold keeps people indoors. With a rise in temperature come more social gatherings, more alcohol, more disputes … and more violence.
In a statement released Saturday, Johnson said the department “can always do better but I believe that our officers work diligently to provide consistent and fair policing in all of our neighborhoods and our efforts are paying in dividends.”
Epoch Times reporter Simon Veazey, The CNN Wire, and NTD News staff contributed to this article.
