3 dead, 3 wounded in early morning shooting in Ohio’s capital

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Three people died and three others were wounded in an early morning shooting in Ohio’s capital over the weekend, authorities said.

Columbus police said the shooting was reported shortly before 3 a.m. Saturday in the Italian Village neighborhood north of downtown Columbus, with what may have been semi-automatic or automatic gunfire and cars “taking off.”

Deputy Chief Gregory Bodker told reporters that officers arriving two minutes later found a “very chaotic scene” with six people shot. Bodker said three were pronounced deceased while three others were taken to hospitals, where one was in critical condition and two others were stable.

Authorities were still working to identify the victims, and Bodker said investigators are talking to several witnesses who were cooperating. He said there was a bar on the corner nearby, but it wasn’t immediately known whether anyone involved had been a patron of the establishment.

Bodker said the motive for the shooting was immediately known, and it was unclear how many suspects were involved. The Franklin County sheriff’s office was using a drone to help document the large crime scene, where police were collecting evidence and video.