LORAIN, Ohio — A recent shooting near a Lorain library is sparking concerns about young people and violence.
Lorain police say a 14-year-old boy is recovering and another 14-year-old is in custody after a shooting outside the Lorain Public Library’s main branch Saturday evening.
The library was closed when officers responded to a reported shooting in the parking lot shortly before 8 p.m. Saturday.
“They were waved over by bystanders to a male who appeared to have sustained to the chest/torso,” explained Lorain Police Capt. Jacob Morris.
He said the victim was just 14 years old. The boy was taken to UH Elyria with serious injuries.
Surveillance video helped identify another 14-year-old boy as the suspected shooter. He was arrested and a gun was recovered during a traffic stop hours later.
“Thankfully it’s not super common that 14-year-olds are involved in shooting crimes. It does happen. It’s not necessarily unheard of, but it is the exception rather than the rule,” Morris said.
Police said they’re still investigating what led up to the shooting and why the teen had access to a gun.
It’s a question some in the community have been asking.
“It’s a shame. It’s a shame they have guns. It’s just a shame it happened,” said Lorain resident Bob Nash.
Others told News 5 they weren’t necessarily surprised by the youth violence.
“It’s low-key hard out here, especially when you’re in the hood. You’ve just got to learn how to survive. And sometimes you do things that lead up to situations like that,” said a young man named Willy, who declined to give his last name.
Police said the violence, especially involving young people, was alarming.
“It’s a sign and a symptom that we need to pay attention and maybe some of our intervention efforts need to take place even sooner than 14,” Morris said.
He explained the department tries to be a positive influence with youth, but said it requires a community effort.
“In this situation, we have a juvenile - one is in the hospital and one is in the detention home. Neither one of those scenarios is a great scenario for either kid. And at the end of the day, they’re still kids. There’s a lot of potential that’s still there,” he said.
Lorain City Schools sent a message to families Monday explaining the situation from the weekend. In the note, the district said it would be making additional counselors available for students and staff at both Longfellow and General Johnnie Wilson Middle Schools. Additionally, the district plans to have increased security presence district-wide this week.
The shooting happened while the library was closed and no staff or patrons were there at the time.
In November, a man was stabbed in an what police called an unprovoked attack inside the branch during business hours.
RELATED: 1 injured, 1 in custody after unprovoked stabbing at Lorain library
Lorain Public Library told News 5 Tuesday that it has safety protocols in place for if and when an incident happens during operating hours.
It said a security guard works in the building during business hours and staff know how to use CPR, AEDs and Narcan and go through FBI active shooter training. The library said surveillance cameras monitor both the inside and outside areas of the building. Weapons are banned from all library properties.
