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15-year-old Public Square shooting suspect now in custody, Cuyahoga County prosecutor announces

The 15-year-old boy faces a total of seven charges, including four counts of felonious assault for the Nov. 25 shooting at Public Square.

CLEVELAND — In a joint press release, the Cleveland Division of Police and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley have announced that a suspect in last month's Public Square shooting is in custody.

The alleged shooter is a 15-year-old boy who turned himself into police on Wednesday. The teen is being detained in the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center.

“I want to thank the public for calling in tips and providing law enforcement with the information needed to apprehend this individual,” said O’Malley. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure our community’s safety.”

The teen faces the following charges:

  • One count of discharge of a firearm on or near prohibited premises
  • Four counts of felonious assault
  • One count of inducing panic
  • One count of carrying a concealed weapon

“The Cleveland Division of Police is committed to the safety of our community. We are grateful for the responses we received from the public. We will continue to work with our partners in ensuring that this individual will be held accountable,” added Cleveland Division of Police Chief Wayne Drummond.

The shooting happened at approximately 8:45 p.m. on Nov. 25, just hours after the Cleveland WinterLand tree lighting ceremony.

Cleveland police officers, who were conducting foot patrol following the tree lighting ceremony, responded to a large group of juveniles who were actively fighting in Public Square. Authorities say the 15-year-old boy now in custody fired several shots into a group of people, injuring a pair of teens.

While responding to the fight, police located the two teenage gunshot wound victims. Both were taken to a nearby hospital and treated for their injuries. 

Following the incident, two 17-year-old boys who were in Public Square at the time were arrested on weapons charges, but one was later cleared of any involvement in the shooting

Last week, O’Malley and Cleveland police officials announced that Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County was offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the suspect's arrest.

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