By Collin Cunningham
(CLEVELAND) Cleveland police are investigating after a 23-year-old man was shot near the intersection of West 9th Street and West Superior Avenue in The Flats at 1 p.m. on Thursday.
First announced in a Cleveland City Hall press release, detectives believe that this was not a random incident and that the victim had been "targeted in connection to other crimes." The announcement states that the unidentified victim had recently pulled up to the intersection when a black Nissan Sentra drove up next to him and someone inside fired shots.
The vehicle, which had no plates, then crossed the Detroit-Superior Bridge towards Ohio City.
The victim's current condition and hospital status were not mentioned in the media update, but it does say that one bullet struck him in the hip.
Cleveland investigators are working with the Real Time Crime Center to find new clues in this case. This story will be updated as it develops.
In other area shooting news, a 13-year-old girl is in critical condition after bullets entered the door of her family's east side apartment building and hit her in the chest. 19 News reported that the shots were fired in the 7720 block of Woodland Avenue around 5:20 p.m. on Tuesday.
Cleveland EMS said she is currently being treated at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital.
In Monday's press release, City Hall issued a public response after four people were killed and 35 shot in 22 incidents of gun violence during the weekend of June 4 to 7.
"Cleveland police officers have confiscated over 1,400 guns so far in 2021, a 72% increase in firearms confiscations from this time last year." Despite those confiscations, the press release reported that local law enforcement data showed that homicide cases are up 30% and incidents of felonious assault shootings are up 56% compared to June 2020.