CLEVELAND — A shooting in The Flats left multiple people injured Sunday evening, according to the Cleveland Division of Police. Authorities held a news conference on Monday afternoon to provide an update on the case.
Watch:
According to Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy "Annie" Todd, a total of six people were injured in the shooting, including a suspected gunman.
Todd said that a 21-year-old woman was shot in the foot, a 44-year-old man was shot in the knee, a 22-year-old man was shot in the thigh, an 18-year-old woman was shot in the abdomen, a 16-year-old boy was shot in the teeth, and a 21-year-old man believed to have fired shots was hit in the abdomen, hand, hip and thigh.
Todd estimated that 100,000 people were Downtown on Sunday for the Browns game.
"I can tell you the feedback we had from the officers that the crowds that weren’t going to the game were extremely large, more than they’ve ever seen before," Todd said.
Around 6:15 p.m., police received a phone call about shots being fired in the 1000 block of West 10th Street. Cleveland Fire was already dispatched to the area for overcrowding at Play Bar & Grill. Fire personnel also heard gunshots, police said.
Surveillance video from Play Bar & Grilled shows some shooting across the street from the establishment.
As shots are fired, a crowd of people runs towards Play Bar & Grill away from where the shooting took place:
The video also shows a line of cars on the street, with people climbing out of their cars to take cover.
Multiple cars were trying to get out, but were caught in the crossfire between Margaritaville and Punch Bowl Social.
Police said several vehicles were struck.
“I was in the car, was trapped trying to exit out of The Flats, I was panicking trying to figure out what I was going to do. I was stuck and just sitting here, so I bent over and ducked, and that's where my car got hit,” Mike Hamme told News 5 on Sunday.
Bullets narrowly missed the headrest of Hamme's car, shattering his back window.
“I'm feeling really blessed, I think God was taking care of me. But that's life, right? Sometimes, it's inches,” said Hamme.
Todd said that 40 shell casings were recovered from the scene from four different caliber weapons. Police believe multiple shooters were involved. At this time, just the 21-year-old man who was also shot is in custody.
Cleveland EMS transported all of the victims to a local hospital, police said.
"Thank goodness it didn't end up more tragic than it already has," Todd said.
Cleveland police initially said five people were shot, but in today's update, they said it was six.
News 5 crews were on scene Sunday and saw a significant police presence with lots of yellow tape up by West 10th and Main Street near the Punch Bowl Social and Margaritaville.
Play Bar & Grill was boarded up overnight by the city.
During the news conference, Cleveland Law Director Mark Griffin said it was the right call.
"Safety comes first. We, as a city, are going to be assertive and aggressive in protecting the safety of all our citizens, so yes, I do think it was appropriate," he said.
CPD said a preliminary investigation indicated an altercation inside Play Bar & Grill escalated outside and led to the nearby shooting.
Managing Partner of Play Bar & Grill, David Hill, later posted on Instagram, criticizing Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb. In the post, Hill called the closure unfair and racially motivated, especially since police said it was unclear if the shooters were ever inside the bar.
"Why would Mayor Bibb choose to shut down the only Black-owned business in The Flats of Cleveland and blame us? You can't make this up," Hill said in the post.
During the news conference, Cleveland Director of Public Safety Wayne Drummond said, "Race has nothing to do with this; It's all about safety. Our response, from the law department of the Division of Police, is all about safety; that is why we acted the way we did."
Griffin said during the news conference that Play Bar & Grill has a history of prior incidents.
"When six people get shot, we are going to do everything we can to protect public safety," Griffin said.
Authorities said Play Bar & Grill is facing several citations, but during the news conference, Griffin said he was not releasing specifics on what those were.
Westley Carter heads up security at Play Bar & Grill.
He said that the bar was overwhelmed by crowds after the Browns game. So much so that the fire department shut them down for overcrowding. That's when police said problems started, and the shooting happened a short time later.
Carter believes the chaos could have been avoided. He blames what happened on a lack of police presence in The Flats after the Browns game.
"We were out here for hours, not a police car, not a foot patrol. Not a sign of any police presence with at least a few thousand people down in The Flats," Carter said.
Morse Legal LLC, a law firm representing the bar, disputes the notion that Play Bar & Grill had any involvement in the shooting.
"The incident did not originate at Play Bar and Grill or as a result of our operations," the firm said in an Instagram post.
The bar said it has not received any official communication or information from the city about its decision to board up the business.
"Due to this lack of communication, we have been unable to provide our comprehensive surveillance to the police, which we believe will aid in their investigation and the resolution of this matter," the firm said in the post.
At this time, it's unclear when the bar will reopen.
On Sunday, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb released a statement regarding the shooting:
I’m outraged by the shooting in The Flats this evening. Gun violence has no place in our city — period.
While the investigation is still unfolding, I’ve already directed my team to immediately shut down and board up the bar involved. We will hold everyone accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
The investigation is active and ongoing, Cleveland Police said.
