Witnesses say little girl shot in East Cleveland; possible drive-by shooting

EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Witnesses tell 19 News crew a little girl, who is between the ages of eight and 11-years-old was shot in the head by gunfire while playing in a grassy area with her friends.

Some witnesses told 19 News they believe it was a drive-by shooting. They also said they believe a white car driving by was involved and took off and headed towards Cleveland Heights.

The identity of the girl has not be released.

The shooting happened just before 8:30 PM, and East Cleveland Police had the area secured with yellow crime scene tape, and officers stood guard for several hours as the investigation was conducted and witnesses interviewed.

Fireworks were going off in the area during the investigation and seemed to catch several witnesses off guard in light of what had just happened.

Juanita Gowdy who is a Second Ward Councilwoman in East Cleveland tells 19 News, “It’s not safe at all for our children and there needs to be a big change. I mean stop the violence, stop the shooting, stop the killing.”

Return to 19 News on this developing story.

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