A woman is suffering from life-threatening injuries after being shot after she confronted a burglar breaking into cars, Columbus police said.
The woman, who has not been identified, saw an unidentified male breaking into cars near Mayfair Apartments on Columbus’ East Side July 11, Columbus police Sgt. James Fuqua said. She and her adult daughter followed the burglar to the intersection of Elbern Avenue and South Ashburton Road, where she confronted him.
Police dispatchers received a call shortly after 5 a.m. that the person had shot her, Fuqua said. She was taken to Grant Medical Center. Her condition wasn’t known as of noon, July 11, but Fuqua said she was alive.
Fuqua said the shooter left the scene on a bike, but police did not have a description to provide. As of 11 a.m., he was not in police custody.
Fuqua said police were asking anyone near the shooting to check surveillance footage to see if they had footage of the shooting. He added that the shooter rode his bike from the apartment complex to the shooting scene.
Fuqua said it’s natural to want to stop a crime in progress, but he urged people to avoid confronting thieves and instead call the police.
“You never know the intentions of a suspect,” he said. “You don’t know what they have. And not victim-blaming, but this is a situation where, unfortunately, this young man escalated to gun violence.”
He also said people should avoid leaving their guns in vehicles. While there is no evidence that the burglar was looking for weapons, Fuqua said it’s one of the more common motivations behind car break-ins.
“It’s just a stark reminder that a lot of these young people are looking for firearms,” Fuqua said.
That afternoon, crime scene tape surrounded a white Hyundai with its driver’s door open. Investigators were inspecting something on the road nearby.
Angie Wilson, who has lived in the apartment complex for a year, said the gunshots woke her up. When she ran to the window, she saw another female helping the woman who had been shot.
“It was definitely something to wake up to,” Wilson said.
Wilson was surprised to learn police believe the woman had been shot after confronting someone breaking into vehicles. She added that she would not confront someone in that situation herself.
“In my day, people would fight and then go about their business,” Wilson said. “The generations younger than me, the gun is the solution.”
Wilson said she feels safe in the neighborhood. Her car was stolen when she first moved to the apartment complex, but it was quickly recovered and, she has otherwise seen little crime.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Public Safety and Breaking News Reporter Bailey Gallion can be reached at bagallion@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Woman shot confronting burglar breaking into cars on Columbus’ East Side, suspect at large
Reporting by Bailey Gallion, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
