Police are investigating a report of shots fired in North Columbus.
Frederick Romel Smith, 20, of 1404 21st St. N. in Columbus, told police he received a bullet wound to the right forearm as he was walking out of a store on Seventh Avenue North near 20th Street North. Smith said he saw five black males exchanging gunfire near the location.
Police responded to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle around 1 a.m. Sunday morning. According to police, Smith could not explain how he arrived at BMH-GT and he did not say when the incident happened, so it is unknown whether it occurred Saturday night or early Sunday morning.
“He knows it was a gun battle that erupted between some unknown black males at the store near Hunt Intermediate School,” McQueen said, noting investigators searched the surrounding area and did not find shell casings or any other physical evidence that indicates a shootout took place.
“The investigators went out and did neighborhood canvassing and they couldn’t find anyone that heard a gunshot fired.”
In separate incidents:
- Police are investigating an attempted armed robbery that occurred at 1003 10th St. N. Monday night.
Police said a family was sitting at the kitchen table eating dinner. The door was unlocked. Police said two black males wearing blue jeans, black-hooded sweat shirts, tennis shoes and ski masks came in through the front door. The incident happened around 7:30 p.m. and police said the two subjects were armed.
“One of the guys yelled something at them but they couldn’t understand anything except for the ‘F’ word. While this was gong on, one resident yelled at them to get out of the house and another resident threw something at them and they ran out the front door,” McQueen said. “They didn’t steal anything.”
- Police responded to Real Life Church, 419 Wilkins Wise Road, at around 12:50 p.m. after someone found an envelope with a letter inside.
According to police, the person was cleaning and found the envelope in the church lobby. The person opened the envelope and a letter stated there was a bomb inside the church.
Police searched the church and did not find a bomb inside. Authorities closed the road in front of the church for nearly 45 minutes.
The note is evidence and will be submitted to the crime lab for processing.
The incident is still under investigation.
- Police are still looking for a woman believed to have stabbed another woman in the head Friday night.
Police said the incident happened at 901 11th St. S. Apt. J-3 just before 8 p.m. The victim was Michelle Dora, 21, of 901 11th St. S. Apt. P-3 in Columbus, and police are searching for Monica McCoy, 37, of 405 Front St. in Artesia.
Police believe McCoy stabbed Dora in the head area and fled the scene. McCoy is wanted on an aggravated assault charge.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.