Columbus police investigating two freeway shootings within 12 hours near Interstate 670

Shahid Meighan, Columbus Dispatch
Updated ·1 min read
Lights from Columbus police vehicles can be seen on I-670 eastbound near 4th Street in the area where a shooting left one person in critical condition.
Lights from Columbus police vehicles can be seen on I-670 eastbound near 4th Street in the area where a shooting left one person in critical condition.

Columbus police are investigating two freeway shootings that happened within 12 hours, one of which was fatal and prompted police to shut down part of Interstate 670 for several hours Friday evening.

Police said the first shooting happened around 5 p.m. Friday on Interstate 670 eastbound, near Fourth Street, near the Smith Brothers Hardware building. Bret A. Bennett, 52, of Grove City, died at 5:26 p.m., according to dispatchers.

The shooting prompted police to completely shut down a section of I-670. The highway was still closed hours later as Columbus police homicide detectives and forensics personnel investigated.

The police later released traffic camera photos of a black Ford F-150 with chrome trim they say was involved in the homicide. The pickup was later found.

A Columbus police cruiser at I-670 eastbound at the Park Avenue cap that was among the units that diverted traffic off the interstate following a shooting further eastbound.
A Columbus police cruiser at I-670 eastbound at the Park Avenue cap that was among the units that diverted traffic off the interstate following a shooting further eastbound.

Columbus police investigating second, unrelated shooting on I-71

Columbus police are also investigating a second, unrelated highway shooting that happened early Saturday morning.

Officers responded at 2:38 a.m. Saturday to a report of a shooting on I-71 and I-670. The adult victim said an unknown person shot them. Paramedics took the victim to a hospital, where they are expected to make a full recovery.

Authorities ask anyone with information about the shooting incidents to contact the Columbus Police Felony Assault Unit at (614)-645-4141 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at (614)-461-TIPS (8477).

@ShahidMeighan

smeighan@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus police investigating two shootings within 12 hours near I-670