A large gathering in a Cleveland shopping plaza turned deadly early Saturday morning, leaving one person dead and at least five others injured in a chaotic shooting that police say may have involved multiple shooters.
Cleveland Police responded to a flurry of 911 calls and alerts from ShotSpotter—an acoustic gunshot detection system—just after 4:15 a.m. in the area of East 115th Street and Buckeye Avenue. When officers arrived minutes later, they encountered a massive crowd and numerous vehicles scattered throughout the parking lot of the Shoppes at Buckeye and adjacent streets.
According to police, the crowd had gathered for what witnesses described as a car meet-up. Tensions escalated into an argument, which then erupted into gunfire.
Latasha Adams, a Cleveland resident who arrived at the scene to pick up her sister from work, described what she saw as “a massacre.”
“There were probably over 50 shell casings,” Adams said. “Police had everything blocked off. It was chaos.”
Security footage obtained by investigators shows the crowd scattering quickly after shots were fired, with cars speeding away from the scene as officers approached. Law enforcement began securing the area and discovered a 22-year-old man with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Meanwhile, five additional shooting victims—ranging in age from 18 to 21—arrived at local hospitals in private vehicles, police said. Cleveland EMS later confirmed they also transported a 25-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl in critical condition, as well as a 21-year-old woman in stable condition.
Just minutes after the incident at the Shoppes at Buckeye, another emergency call reported a car crash at East 116th Street and Buckingham Avenue, about two blocks away. A 22-year-old man from that crash was taken to the hospital, while a 25-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are investigating whether this second incident is connected to the earlier shooting.
Cleveland Police said officers recovered multiple shell casings of varying calibers across several blocks and found two firearms discarded in nearby bushes. A vehicle containing additional firearms was later towed from a local hospital.
The investigation remains active, and authorities have not yet announced any arrests. Police are urging anyone with information to contact the homicide unit or submit tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County.
As of Saturday evening, no motive has been confirmed, and police say updates will be released as new information becomes available.