CLEVELAND — The investigation continues into Saturday night's shooting at Public Square in downtown Cleveland that injured a pair of teens.
According to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, the two 17-year-old males who were arrested following the incident were not charged for the shooting. One teen was charged with one count of carrying a concealed weapon. The other teen was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and receiving stolen property.
One of the arrested teens has been cleared of any involvement in the shooting, which remains under investigation.
The shooting happened at around 8:45 p.m., 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. While responding to the fight, police located the two teenage gunshot wound victims.
Cleveland EMS officials told 3News that a 13-year-old and 15-year-old were taken to MetroHealth Medical Center. According to Cleveland City Council President Blaine Griffin, both are in stable condition.
"We won't let this define Cleveland," said Griffin of the incident. "This is, once again, a small group of bad actors who continue to do this kind of activity, and whether they're juveniles or adults, we're going to hold them accountable and hopefully get them the assistance and the help they need to reform their lives."
Griffin said we have to deal with the root cause of the violent crime, and address mental health issues in young people.
"Something is wrong when you have juveniles that feel that they want to take a gun to a Christmas tree lighting and wind up getting into a feud and just indiscriminately shooting into a crowd of people," he said. "There's something wrong."
Griffin said the city has put millions of dollars into a number of programs, ranging from education, to domestic violence, to violence prevention programs and more in the hopes of addressing violence and investing in the community. He said he believes a better job needs to be done of coordinating all of these programs so they work together.
"I was there when the shots were fired, it was not a situation that any of us want to be in," said Michael Deemer, president and CEO of Downtown Cleveland Inc.
Deemer said Downtown Cleveland Inc. is committed to safety, with programs like their safety ambassadors, as well as the investments in safety made by property owners through the Downtown Cleveland Improvement District.
He said he expects people will continue to come downtown through the holidays, and said the many small businesses who call downtown Cleveland home deserve community's support.
“We certainly understand when bad things happen, it frustrates and saddens all of us, but we take it very very seriously, and we just double down on our commitment to having a clean, safe, and welcoming environment in downtown," Deemer said.
Danielle Gerasimchuk works in Public Square, and heard the shots fired on Saturday night. She said it was terrifying to watch people run for cover.
“We were really busy because of the winter festival and I just heard three gunshots, literally a few meters away, and everybody started panicking," she said. "I never thought I would be in that situation where I could die.”
She said they were able to close the doors where she worked, with some people hiding in the back of their building, others sitting down.
"I see this kind of stuff on websites and online and stuff, but actually being part of it, it's crazy," she said.
Mayor Justin Bibb issued the below statement on Sunday:
"Last night, what should have been an evening of celebration ended in tragedy when two juveniles were shot amid a large fight that broke out after Cleveland's annual tree lighting event on Public Square.
I am grateful to the officers of CDP for their fast and effective response. CDP quickly identified and took two juvenile suspects into custody, both of whom will be presented to the County Prosecutor’s Office. The two victims, ages 15 and 13, were taken to the hospital. One remains in serious condition; the other is stable.
I am both saddened and angered by this senseless violence. Enough is enough. It is time to break the cycle of violence and find better ways to resolve conflicts. Clevelanders deserve to feel safe, and we will continue to focus on and invest in safety each and every day through our RISE initiative and numerous programs that support youth, empower families and improve neighborhoods. Safety isn't just the concern of law enforcement; everyone has a role to play to ensure our public places are safe. This includes all of us, from government and police to residents, parents and caregivers. Report concerning activity. Know where your children are. Get involved with groups and organizations that promote neighborhood safety initiatives. A safer Cleveland takes all of us working together.
This investigation is ongoing, and CDP is providing me with regular briefings as it develops."