COLUMBUS – Police say a 20-year-old man was shot to death while fleeing the scene of a robbery on the Southeast Side early Wednesday.
The man, whose name had not been released early Thursday unresponsive and suffering from an apparent gunshot wound behind the wheel of a crashed vehicle at the intersection of Reinhard Avenue and Linwood Avenue at 12:31 a.m. by officers responding to reports of gunfire in the 1100 block of Oakwood Avenue, Homicide Unit Sgt. J.R. Strayer said.
The man died later at Grant Medical Center, Strayer said.
Witnesses told investigators that the man and at least one other accomplice were committing robberies in the area just prior to the shooting, which may have been directly connected to these crimes, Strayer said.
The witnesses suggest that the victim was shot while fleeing from the scene of a robbery that had just been committed.
The victim’s identity was being withheld pending notification of the next of kin.
The investigation continues.
This is the 60th homicide of the year in Columbus, police said.
Anyone with information regarding this incident, is asked to call the Columbus Police Homicide Unit at 614-645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS.