OAN’s Abril Elfi
9:13 AM – Sunday, November 26, 2023
Two teenagers were injured in a shooting that occurred at the annual tree-lighting ceremony in Cleveland, Ohio. A suspect is now in custody.
According to authorities, about an hour after the yearly Christmas tree lighting ceremony, which drew hundreds of spectators, two teenagers were injured in a shooting in a plaza in downtown Cleveland.
Following the gunfire in Public Square at approximately 8:45 p.m. on Saturday that left a 13-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy critically injured, police said a suspect was arrested at the scene.
The teenager’s and the suspects identities remain private as the investigation continues.
The two injured teens were discovered in the area and taken to a hospital, according to police, who said that officers on patrol in the area were informed that a sizable group of young people had been fighting close to the Soldiers and Sailors Civil War monument in the southeast quadrant of the square.
Following the gunshots, people in the square could be seen fleeing for their lives in television news footage.
Downtown Cleveland Inc.’s president and CEO Michael Deemer said that the WinterLight ceremony was described as “a great celebration of the season,” but it was “marred later by senseless violence.”
Although he applauded the police for acting quickly, he claimed that “too many guns and too little respect for life or authority” exist in their community.
According to Cleveland City Council President Blaine Griffin. the event was “attended by hundreds of families and individuals who came for the lights, the fireworks and the activities in and around the square.”
He continued stating that the incidents that “impacted what otherwise was a beautiful evening” devastated him.
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