Nine teens and kids — including a 5-year-old boy — were injured in a shooting at a Georgia gas station, in line with police.
The bullets flew about 10 p.m. Friday at a Shell station in Columbus, Ga., a city south of Atlanta on the Alabama border.
Columbus Police Chief Freddie Blackmon said Saturday that a fight appeared to have spilled over from a close-by party to the gas station. He said the 5-year-old happened to be on the station with a member of the family.
Blackmon said the case was still being investigated and wouldn’t comment on whether there have been multiple shooters. No arrests have been made.
Along with the 5-year-old, the victims were identified by Columbus police as a 12-year-old boy; two 13-year-old girls; a 13-year-old boy; a 14-year-old boy; two 15-year-old boys; and a 17-year-old boy.
The victims were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries and 4 had been released from the hospital by Saturday afternoon, Blackmon.
“The rash of gun violence involving our youth is impacting communities across the country. While Columbus shouldn’t be resistant to these incidents, I need to guarantee residents that the lads and ladies of CPD are tirelessly working to get violent offenders off our streets,” Blackmon said in an earlier statement.
He added “It’s going to take a community effort to combat gun violence in our city. The complete village has a responsibility because incidents like this impact all of us.”
Nine teens and kids — including a 5-year-old boy — were injured in a shooting at a Georgia gas station, in line with police.
The bullets flew about 10 p.m. Friday at a Shell station in Columbus, Ga., a city south of Atlanta on the Alabama border.
Columbus Police Chief Freddie Blackmon said Saturday that a fight appeared to have spilled over from a close-by party to the gas station. He said the 5-year-old happened to be on the station with a member of the family.
Blackmon said the case was still being investigated and wouldn’t comment on whether there have been multiple shooters. No arrests have been made.
Along with the 5-year-old, the victims were identified by Columbus police as a 12-year-old boy; two 13-year-old girls; a 13-year-old boy; a 14-year-old boy; two 15-year-old boys; and a 17-year-old boy.
The victims were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries and 4 had been released from the hospital by Saturday afternoon, Blackmon.
“The rash of gun violence involving our youth is impacting communities across the country. While Columbus shouldn’t be resistant to these incidents, I need to guarantee residents that the lads and ladies of CPD are tirelessly working to get violent offenders off our streets,” Blackmon said in an earlier statement.
He added “It’s going to take a community effort to combat gun violence in our city. The complete village has a responsibility because incidents like this impact all of us.”
