CLEVELAND — The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s office says two 17-year-old boys arrested after the shooting in Public Square were found with guns, one of which was stolen.
Two teen boys, ages 15 and 13, were hurt in the shooting after the annual tree lighting. One is still in the hospital.
The prosecutor’s office says no one has been charged in the shooting, and one 17-year-old was cleared of any involvement.
News 5 Investigators obtained a shocking new video of the chaos.
What was a terrifying scene for families was captured by cameras at the Cuyahoga County Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument.
In the video, you can see people scattering in all directions and police officers taking cover with their guns drawn at the sound of gunshots.
“One of our victims had jumped down and is trying to make their way across,” said Greg Palumbo, Executive Director for the Cuyahoga County Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument.
The video shows a victim hobbling up the monument steps, and then an officer rounding the corner to help.
“There was a large police presence so that makes it even more of a bold act,” Palumbo said.
Palumbo got the call about the shooting after he said it was a busy day with more than 1,700 people passing through the monument to see Patriotic Santa.
“The rink had been shut down a little earlier. The police were worried about things escalating and were trying to get the square under control,” Palumbo said.
Police said officers walking in Public Square went to reports of teens fighting when they found two victims, 15 and 13-year-old boys.
Allison Gilgenbach told News 5 investigators Sunday that she and her husband protected their two daughters in Tower City.
“There’s like a wall there and we ran into some people and I picked up the kids and held both of them because we had no idea what was going on,” Gilgenbach said.
Corey May is the Managing Partner of Rebol, a cafe in Public Square. He says there were two different scares about 45 minutes apart.
The first was a false alarm, and things went back to normal. The second resulted in similar actions by employees moving people to safety in the kitchen.
“You’re talking about little kids, babies in strollers — it was an all-out panic...unbelievable,” May said.
This was the second shooting outside a downtown business shared with his partner Bobby George.
Back in July, a mass shooting wounded nine outside Barley House.
“In 15 years of being down here, this is the worst I’ve seen it,” May said.
Palumbo says every day after school, teens hop off buses and sometimes, some cause trouble.
“Public Square and the city core as a whole need more resources; the district could use more resources just to have shift changes covered,” Palumbo said.
May says part of a solution may include getting into the schools and the homes.
He believes something needs to happen before people start losing their confidence in visiting downtown and businesses like his leave.
“It’s not one problem. It’s a lot of problems, and where do you start, and that’s what everyone needs to agree on, and what’s our plan? Let’s see a three-year plan,” May said.
Mayor Bibb was not made available for an interview today.
Sgt. Wilfredo Diaz with Cleveland Police had a message from the division: "We'd like the parents to be a little bit more aware."
Management company Bedrock shared this statement related to Tower City:
On Saturday, November 25, Downtown Cleveland hosted a variety of WinterLand events and activities, and we were excited to welcome 35,000 visitors at Tower City Center for holiday shopping, free family-friendly activities, and food and drinks at The Eatery.
The incidents that took place in downtown following WinterLand were unfortunate and challenging. We will continue to prioritize safety within Tower City and all our properties, while still offering fun-filled, safe experiences for all to enjoy. Our Rock Security team and the Tower City Security Operations Center will continue to collaborate and coordinate with our partners at the city and Downtown Cleveland Inc to ensure that we can all look forward to a joyous and safe holiday season
