Three Dead, Three Injured in Early Morning Shooting in Columbus

Three people were killed and three others injured in an early morning shooting in Ohio’s capital city over the weekend, authorities reported.

Columbus police responded to the incident, which occurred shortly before 3 a.m. Saturday in the Italian Village neighborhood just north of downtown Columbus. Deputy Chief Gregory Bodker described the situation as involving what appeared to be semi-automatic or automatic gunfire, with vehicles fleeing the scene.

Officers arrived within two minutes to find a chaotic scene, with six individuals shot. Three victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while the remaining three were transported to hospitals. One person was in critical condition, and the other two were stable.

Authorities were in the process of identifying the victims, and Bodker noted that several witnesses were cooperating with investigators. While there was a nearby bar, it was not immediately confirmed whether any individuals involved had been patrons.

The motive for the shooting remained unknown, and police were unsure of the number of suspects involved. The Franklin County sheriff’s office deployed a drone to assist in documenting the extensive crime scene, where evidence and video footage were being collected by law enforcement.