COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus Police are working to identify the suspects who exchanged gunfire inside Polaris Fashion Place mall Wednesday.
Wednesday afternoon, Sgt. James Fuqua said they identified the suspects and were searching the city. Now, they're asking the public for help in verifying that information.
*UPDATE - 3/4/21 - 9:55pm: Detectives are looking to verify the identities of the two shooting suspects from yesterday’s incident at Polaris Fashion Place. Anyone with info is asked to contact Det. Federer at 614-645-4011 or afederer@columbuspolice.org or @OhioCrime 614-461-TIPS. https://t.co/X3OnMM9wdy pic.twitter.com/FUtwozKO36
— Columbus Ohio Police (@ColumbusPolice) March 5, 2021
Around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, the department received calls from shoppers and workers saying they heard gunshots inside the mall. Security footage shows one suspect fired multiple gunshots at the other suspect while inside Carter's and Oshkosh B'Gosh on the lower level. The suspect who was fired at exited the mall and fired his weapon at the other suspect.
Nobody was injured, and there was minor damage to a kiosk.
Shortly after the calls, Columbus Police, the Columbus SWAT, the Franklin County Sheriff's Office and the Delaware County Sheriff's Office slowly evacuated the building, telling people to meet at the old Sears parking lot at 1400 Polaris Pkwy.
At first, police believed the suspects could have still been in the mall. But after monitoring everyone who left the building and searching the mall, they determined they left before police showed up.
"We know there are many people in the community who know who these people are. We are strongly encouraging you to turn yourselves in and explain your side of the story. We just want a conclusion as quickly as possible," Fuqua said during a press conference Wednesday.
Police determined it wasn't an active shooting, but rather a domestic dispute, Fuqua said. Police recovered shell casings from inside the mall, but didn't say where or what caliber they were. Fuqua said they also recovered a gun from underneath a car in the parking lot after receiving a tip from a witness.