A DoorDasher and a woman inside her home suffered injuries during a rash of three separate shootings over two days, Police Chief Joseph Daughtry told The Dispatch.
Daughtry said the shootings stemmed from “two groups” openly firing at each other multiple times on Sunday and Monday, claiming among their victims two innocent bystanders.
“You have two groups of individuals that are shooting at each other, and we had two different citizens – innocent bystanders – who got caught in the crossfire,” Daughtry said. “We were able to arrest two individuals from one group, and we’re still putting pieces of the puzzle together to get the other group, so we can get them in custody, as well.”
Alex Williams and Xzarion Thompson, both 19, are charged with aggravated assault. Thompson, along with 43-year-old Crystal Burnett, also faces one count of hindering prosecution in the first degree, according to a Columbus Police Department press release.
The first shooting was reported shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday when officers responded to the 1900 block of Old Aberdeen Road. The victim, who was delivering a DoorDash order at the time, was caught in crossfire and shot in the leg when she arrived at the residence of a suspect in the investigation.
The victim’s 6-year-old child was also in the car but was not injured, the press release said.
At about 3 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to reports of a second victim who suffered two gunshot wounds to her hand and leg at the 2600 block of Fifth Avenue North. Daughtry said the victim was inside her home when she went to check on a commotion she heard outside.
“(Individuals from the two groups were) arguing, getting ready to … do whatever they’re going to do,” he said. “She opens the door to see what’s going on, and when she sees them running, she closes her door, and then the bullet comes through and hits her.”
Then just after 11 a.m. Monday, officers responded to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle in reference to three gunshot victims, one of whom was airlifted to a nearby hospital for further treatment.
“One group caught (the other) group – like the kids say, they caught them slipping – and opened fire on them, and we got them,” Daughtry said.
Williams and Thompson – the other two gunshot victims at the hospital – were subsequently arrested. Daughtry said the two men belong to the same group responsible for the earlier shootings.
Regarding the hindering prosecution charges filed against Thompson and Burnett, who is the mother of a suspect in the investigation, Daughtry said the suspects allegedly lied to police and encouraged others not to cooperate with investigators.
“You’ve got parents who are holding up for their children’s wrongdoing and trying to cover it up, and telling people not to talk to us and telling people not to do this and not to do that, and lying to us,” he said. “… It’s hindering the prosecution, and I’m tired of playing with these people.”
Daughtry said the investigation into the shootings and the two groups allegedly involved is ongoing, with more arrests expected. In the meantime, he plans to speak with local legislators about the possibility of tightening gun laws.
“We’ve got to get some legislation changed with these guns because this is getting out of hand because everybody wants to pull a gun,” he said. “Nobody fights anymore. Everybody wants to pull a gun and shoot.”
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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