Springfield police received a report around 1:48 a.m. of multiple gunshots in the area and that multiple people had been shot. Springfield Police Chief Lee Graf described the scene as chaotic when officers arrived. He said that there was a large crowd of people there when the first shots were fired.
Graf said that the injuries of those who were shot were not life threatening. He took part in a press conference Wednesday afternoon along with Springfield Mayor Warren Copeland and Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck.
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Credit:
Graf said that officers believe that there were multiple suspects and that they had fled the scene before officers arrived. He added that the shooting itself happened fairly quickly.
Graf did not confirm if any arrest had been made as of Wednesday afternoon and suspect information had not been released by the Springfield Police Division.
While Gov. Mike DeWine said two people were in custody in the shooting during a Wednesday morning briefing, Graf could not confirm if anyone had been arrested
Investigators from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation were also at the the shooting scene Wednesday morning.
“Any mayor in the world , certainly in the United States , hates to see a day like this come,” Copeland told reporters on Wednesday.
“We are also hopeful that whoever did this comes forward,” Copeland added.
Glen Williams, who owns the building where the shooting occurred, said the person who rented the space was celebrating his brother’s birthday. Williams said the brother passed away some years ago and city officials confirmed that the event served as a celebration of life.
Williams added that his business is used for people to rent out for gatherings such as weddings and baby showers.
“I can’t speculate why … but I wouldn’t say the guy that rented out the space was targeted,” Glen Williams said.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
Police did not release how many shots were fired inside or into the business or how much damage was done.
Members of local law enforcement said that some units had arrived within a minute of getting the report of the shooting. At least 10 units arrived at the scene within minutes of the report.
Police officers said Wednesday afternoon that they were aware of six people who were struck by gunfire and that there was more than one shooter. Graf did not release any additional information regarding why the shooters were at the gathering or what lead to shots being fired.
“This was an incident were basically a lot of shots were fired in a large crowd of people and several people were injured,” Graf told reporters during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
Graf said that five people were taken to Springfield Regional Medical Center for various gunshot wounds and did not know if all had been released or were still in the hospital as of Wednesday afternoon.
The sixth victim was flown by CareFlight to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton. Graf said the victim suffered gunshot wounds to the chest and those injuries are believed to not be life threatening.
The age of the victims ranged from 20 to 25 years of age, according to an incident report filed by the Springfield Police Division. Graf said that to his knowledge there were not any minors at the gathering.
Williams said he was unsure of how many people were at the celebration.
“I pray everybody will be alright, be safe,” he said. “I feel bad for everybody. I’m glad no one lost their life. That’s the most fortunate thing.”
In several 911 calls, people can be heard screaming and crying.
“There are people getting shot … please come,” one caller told dispatchers.
Springfield dispatch received nearly 10 other 911 calls, including one where you can hear gunshots in the background.
“There’s a shooting going on … there’s a lot of shooting,” one caller said. “Somebody’s bleeding … they keep shooting. We’re all trapped in the building and can’t get out.”
A third caller said the suspects were shooting into the building as the people at the gathering tried to run out.
“Somebody has been hit …they are shooting. Every time we try to leave, they are shooting in here,” the caller said.
The Springfield Fire Division also had nearly eight units respond to the shooting, including one from Springfield Twp., according to a post on the fire division’s Facebook page.
“Triage and staging were set up to control the scene and quickly remove the victims,” the post stated.
In the early morning of 6/2/21, M8/A and T8/A received a call for a shooting on S. Yellow Springs St, and found the...
Posted by Springfield Fire Rescue Division on Wednesday, June 2, 2021
Graf mentioned during the press conference Wednesday afternoon that there are a number of resources in Springfield for victims of the shooting as well as those who were present during the shooting.
Graf said that includes programs through CitiLookout as well as resources associated with the Clark County Prosecutor’s office and the courts.
Graf said that anyone who has information regarding the shooting is advised to call 937-324-7680 and ask to be connected with the Springfield Police Division.
“Any situation when we get full cooperation from the community these things are solved very rapidly,” Graf said.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
By the numbers
6 - Number of people injured in shooting
2 - Number of hospitals were victims were taken
20-25 - Age range of victims
