64-year-old woman dies from stray bullet after early morning 'shoot out' in south Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX/WTTE) — A woman is dead after being struck by a stray bullet inside her apartment during a gun battle in the street early Saturday morning.

Columbus Police described the incident as a "shoot out." Officers responded to the 1800 block Parsons Avenue in south Columbus around 4:45 a.m. where they found a female victim suffering from at least one gunshot wound.

"The scene is very expansive. It spans several blocks. There’s evidence located in a bunch of different locations so we’re investigating," said Columbus Police Lieutenant Nick Konves.

Police later reported that the woman, identified as 64-year-old Ellen Lakey, succumbed to her injuries.

Evidence, according to investigators, suggests the stray bullet traveled approximately 200 into Lakey's 4th-floor apartment then ricocheted off the ceiling and hit the victim.

“We heard a whole bunch of shooting," said one man who lives near the scene and wished to remain anonymous.“No yelling. Just a bunch of gunshots. My wife said she heard about fifteen gunshots and then three to four minutes you didn’t hear nothing.”

“It happens over here all the time. No one cares until someone’s already dead," the man said.

Several blocks of Parsons Avenue and surrounding side streets were closed off to traffic well into the morning.

The gun battle is the latest in a wave of violence across the city. As of just a few days ago, police reported at least 500 shootings since January and 75 homicides so far this year.“There is a lot of violence in the city you know. I think there’s a lot of factors going into why we see so much violence you know," said Konoves.

With the current track the city is on, 2020 could be a particularly violent year. "People aren’t staying occupied and that lends itself to folks getting in trouble when engaging in violence, engaging in criminal acts and criminal behavior and so you know it’s an uphill battle with that right now.”

Police said this was the 82nd homicide in Columbus in 2020.

Anyone with information shouldcall Columbus Police Homicide Detective Karnes at 614-645-4730 Ext. 4077 or central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS(8477).