COLUMBUS (WCMH) – One person was killed and two others injured when shots were fired during a home invasion robbery on the west side of Columbus early Tuesday morning.
The shooting occurred around 1:30am on the 100 block of North Warren Avenue
Lee H. Bussey, 30 and Timothy Montgomery,55 were both shot during the incident while Stacey Montgomery, 26 suffered serious facial injuries.
All three victims were taken to Mount Carmel West Hospital for treatment.
Timothy Montgomery was the first person to call 9-1-1. “Couple of guys with masks on,” he tells the dispatcher. “I got shot twice.”
Montgomery was taken out on a stretcher with a gunshot wound to the side and one to his hand. He told NBC 4 the intruders burst in, demanded money and the keys to a motorcycle. Montgomery says he grabbed a machete and tried to attack the intruders. That’s when they shot him.
His daughter, Stacey, was badly beaten and her fiancé Lee Bussey was shot and later died at the hospital.
The suspects ran from the house and neighbors saw them running and called 911 to describe what they saw. “Short guy, probably about five-six maybe, had a ball cap and a red mask on, a ski mask on,” said one caller. “The helicopters flying over my house and the guy is hiding in the neighbors yard over here,” said another caller.
Police have questioned a number of people but have not yet made any arrests.
Ron Gardner says one of the bullets went through the driver’s side door of his van that was parked on the street. He says the neighborhood is normally fairly quiet. “There’s good parts and there’s bad parts just like any other neighborhood,”Gardner says. “But we feel pretty safe.”
NBC 4 found that several neighbors have called the city in recent months to complain about the house in question. They reported a steady stream of suspicious people coming and going from this house at all hours of the day and night. In May, one complainant warned, ” I don’t want the next thing to be guns going off in my neighborhood.”
One neighbor, who asked not to be identified confirmed the history of problems at the house. “We’ve tried calling 311 and the neighbors have been calling 311 and nothing’s been done on it and we knew eventually something was going to happen.”
Joe Spires has lived on the Hilltop for 47 years but he says after last night he’s ready to move out. “I’m ready to leave,” Spires said.
Spires says a couple of family members were sleeping in a tent in the back yard when they heard the gun shots. He says, after the shooting, one of the suspects ran right through his back yard.
“I’m just ready for a little slower, quieter pace,” Spires said. “I’m not up to doing any more of this ducking and dodging.”
Several neighbors cited an increase in rental properties as the root cause for the deterioration of the neighborhood.
Timothy Forby says last nights violence is disturbing. “I mean I grew up in this neighborhood and to see this type of stuff happening – it gets worse by the day.”
Police ask that anyone with information call Columbus police at 614-645-4730 or Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS.
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