CLEVELAND — Six people were shot, including five fatally, during a weekend of gun violence in the city of Cleveland.
According to the Cleveland Division of Police, the first incident took place on Saturday at approximately 1:20 p.m. Officers responded to the 5800 block of Portage Avenue for a report that a woman had been burglarized. As she was searching the neighborhood for her belongings, she entered an abandoned house in the 5700 block of Hamlet Avenue and discovered the body of a 53-year-old man inside. The victim was found with gunshot wounds to the head and leg and was pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests have been made.
On Saturday evening at around 10:10 p.m., Cleveland officers responded to E. 88th Street between Bessemer and Marshall Avenue for a call of a man shot and lying in the middle of the street. On arrival, police discovered a 26-year-old man down in the road with gunshot wounds to his head. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene and then taken to University Hospitals because police say the crime scene was not safe. According to its preliminary investigation, Cleveland police say the shooting victim was at a vigil for another victim of homicide and became involved in an argument with other attendees. A male suspect apparently approached the victim and began shooting him. The suspect then left in a dark colored SUV and then returned to the scene and shot the victim multiple times again. No arrests have been made.
On Sunday morning at approximately 3 a.m., officers responded to East 76th Street and Korman Avenue a report of three people shot. On arrival, a large crowd was gathered outside of an after-hours club near the area. Officers were directed by the crowd to the victims’ location. Three victims were found in front of the 100 block of East 76th Street. The first victim, a 23-year-old woman, was found in the passenger seat of a vehicle with a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. Another victim, a 31-year-old woman was found down on the sidewalk next to the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. She suffered gunshot wounds to the body. A third victim was found outside of the vehicle with a gunshot wound to her leg. She was transported to University Hospitals for treatment. Members of the Homicide Unit responded for investigation. Investigators say the three victims had been out that evening and had returned to the home of the woman who was wounded in the leg. The victims were approached by men in a vehicle who began to argue with the women and then opened fire at them. All three victims were struck by gunfire. The suspects then left in a vehicle. No arrests have been made.
Anyone with information on the three above incidents is asked to contact investigators at 216-623-5464. Anonymous information can be provided by calling Crimestoppers at 216-25-CRIME and a cash reward of up to $5,000 may be available.
Around 15 minutes after responding to the incident on East 76th and Korman, Cleveland police officers were called to the 1300 block of St. James Avenue for a report of a man shot. Police found a 39-year-old man was a gunshot wound to his chest on the porch of the house. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators say the victim and his girlfriend resided at the St. James Avenue address. Witnesses reported hearing the two arguing. Two men were in the driveway of the residence in a vehicle, one of them shot the victim and the car fled the area. Police took the 28-year-old girlfriend into custody. This incident remains under investigation.