‘A proliferation of guns’: 15-year-old dies in Easton Town Center shooting

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WXIX) - A 15-year-old boy is dead after a shooting occurred in Easton Town Center on Sunday, according to Franklin County Coroner Nathaniel Overmire.

The coroner identified the teen as Ra’Shawyn Carter who was pronounced dead at Mount Carmel East Hospital just minutes after the shooting was called in.

According to Columbus police, officers were dispatched to the outdoor mall at 6:14 p.m. for a report of shots fired.

Officers at the scene found a victim, who is now confirmed as Carter, on the ground in front of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, Columbus police said during a press conference. Police performed CPR until medics arrived, but the 15-year-old did not make it.

According to the arrest report, two 13-year-old boys were detained and charged. One teen is being charged with one count of murder, while the other faces one count of obstructing justice.

During the press conference Sunday evening Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther called on community members to step up as shootings increase across the nation.

“Parents, I need you to step up. Know where your kids are, who they’re with, and if they’re involved in any violent activities. Do they have firearms? Go through their backpacks, go through their rooms. We need you to be fully engaged in helping to keep your kids and our city [Columbus] safe,” he said. “To the public, I ask you to share tips and information. There were a lot of folks who have information about what happened tonight [Sunday]. We need those with that information so we can hold these criminals accountable for their actions.”

Mayor Ginther finished his call-to-action discussing the influx of gun violence that has occurred in the City of Columbus.

“And I’m calling on everybody to call their legislators in Congress, but particularly in the State House. Tell them to do something about the guns flooding our streets. There’s a proliferation of guns in our neighborhoods and in our city and the cities across the country,” he said.

It is still unclear what prompted the shooting, but Columbus police say it was an “isolated incident.”

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