At least one person was killed and another injured in a shooting near Alrahma Mosque in northeast Columbus, Ohio, on Monday afternoon, according to 10 WBNS. A large section of Albert Avenue near Westerville Road has been cordoned off with crime scene tape.
The Columbus Dispatch reported that the shooting occurred during an event and it was not an attack on the mosque. Police told CBS News that an initial investigation suggested the shooting may have stemmed from an altercation.
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Authorities respond
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in Columbus said agents “are responding to a reported shooting incident at a mosque in the 2200 block of Albert Ave. in Columbus, OH. Additional information will be shared as it becomes available.”
Police later clarified that the incident was not an attack on the mosque but had occurred in the parking lot of an apartment complex next to the mosque.
“This investigation is in its’ infancy,” an ATF spokesperson told Newsweek. “Personnel at the scene are still trying to determine the facts and circumstances that led to the shooting. I can confirm one victim is deceased and the condition of the second victim is unknown. Identities of the victims are not being released.”
Sgt. James Fuqua said, “At the mosque, unfortunately, there was an event going on that had nothing to do with what was going on outside. But it’s super important that I make it clear that this shooting had nothing to do with an attack on the mosque itself.”