The Springfield News Sun reports on important public safety issues in our community, including recent stories on gun theft and the roles illegal weapons play in recent gun violence.
A Springfield teen underwent surgery Thursday after he was shot in the head during a gun battle that erupted after a fight.
Thaddeus James Keaton, 18, received injuries to his head that are considered life-threatening, police said. They found the teen lying in front of a home where a gun battle had erupted, Flores said.
Keaton underwent surgery at Miami Valley Hospital Thursday morning, said Sgt. Jeff Flores, of Springfield police.
Police received several calls around 10:45 p.m. Wednesday night on shots fired, Flores said. Officers near the area on other calls also heard the shots.
A get-together at a home in the 500 block of Fair Street on the south side of the city turned violent after a dispute happened between some of the people at the party, Flores said.
The exact number of shots fired is still unknown, he said, but “there was a lot of gun casings collected.”
From casings at the scene, at least four different guns were used when shots were fired in front of the home and in the street, detectives said.
Investigators are still trying to determine if the victim was also one of the shooters.
Police have talked to some witnesses but are seeking more to interview, Flores said.
“It’s been an ongoing dispute between a couple groups of people,” Flores said of what led to the gun violence.
This is the second time in less than a month a Springfield man has been shot in the head.
Christopher Hughes, of Beverly Avenue, was shot in the face in front of his Springfield home on July 14, police said.
Springfield police arrested Charles E. Brown, 44, of 810 Isabella Ave., just hours after the shooting and said Brown was the man who pulled the trigger.
Brown was indicted on the charges last week and pleaded not guilty in Clark County Common Pleas Court on Monday to felonious assault and attempted murder charges. Brown is also booked in the Clark County Jail on a $100,000 bond, according to court records.
Anyone with information in the shooting can call Springfield police at 937-324-7685.