Short North mass shooting shows safety not a priority for Ohio State, Columbus
Phoebe Helms is a 2024 graduate from the Ohio State University with degrees in journalism and political science. The New Albany High School alumna is pursuing her master's of Public Policy at the University of Virginia.
Twenty-four people have been shot in mass shootings in Columbus since May — the month my friends and I graduated from Ohio State University.
Less than an hour before shots rang out in the Short North Arts District Sunday, we stood in the 1100 block of North High Street where 10 people — eight men and two boys between the ages of 16 and 27 — would be shot.
Since graduation, my friends and I have been celebrating and enjoying our last few weeks together. The blocks of the city buzz with energy, and the nightlife becomes especially popular in the warmer summer months.
We decided to spend Saturday evening at Standard Hall, one of the most popular bars in the area.
After a few hours, we decided to leave the area and go home. About 45 minutes after leaving, the shooting occurred at 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
Nowhere feels safe
It is incredibly chilling to realize that you were moments away from being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Gun violence now seems to permeate every corner of society.
Born in 2002, I’ve grown up in a generation defined by gun violence. The students at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, Oxford High — all were my peers.
Fear was instilled in Gen Z at an early age, with little to no action taken by the government.
What to know about Short North shooting: Short North mass shooting driver surrenders to Columbus police
The fear of becoming a mass shooting victim reaches beyond school walls though; concerts, clubs, movie theaters, grocery stores, have all been targets in recent years and anyone can be a target.
Columbus has become a city at the center of the gun violence conversation, especially post-COVID. Between 2020-2023, 41 percent of people living in Columbus live a five-minute walk from a deadly shooting, a 13 percent increase since pre-pandemic times, according to a New York Times analysis.
Conversations on Columbus violence: 5 shot and killed in Columbus last weekend. What New York Times says about city sadly true.
Safety does not feel like a priority
Last Sunday’s incident isn’t even the first close-call I’ve had, and I’m sure many students and young professionals in Columbus feel the same way.
For the college-age and post-grad population in the city, safety doesn’t feel like a priority of the city or Ohio State.
I began studying at Ohio State in August of 2020 in the midst of COVID. Ohio State student Chase Meola was shot and killed on Oct. 11 of that year outside a fraternity house party.
Starting in 2020, I became a part of the New York Times’ 41 percent.
Students felt deeply unsafe after Meola’s death.
The idea that a student could be killed so close to the university, with little protection as the area was declared 'off-campus' was disturbing. The incident defined that academic year.
Off-campus shootings also contributed to a feeling of deep vulnerability. Stories of people being shot or robbed just blocks away from the Union circulated frequently within the student body. Gun-related incidents were known to occur at the Waffle House, United Dairy Farmers, McDonald’s, Buckeye Donuts - all of which posed an overarching threat for the students living in the midst of the chaos.
More: There have been 12 mass shootings in Columbus since 2023. Here's what we know.
Students cannot even feel completely secure grocery shopping, as Ohio State wrestler Sammy Sasso was shot at the Kroger south of campus.
It feels as though there’s no escape from the violence and it is exhausting.
We grew up afraid to go to school
The New York Times recently ranked Columbus as the number four best city for college graduates to live in. However, the city has to take drastic steps in order to make the demographic feel safe.
My friends and I have grown up in a world where we were afraid to go to school. We live in a world where it is dangerous to go to the grocery store. We cannot go downtown to enjoy a night with friends without keeping our heads on a swivel.
When we leave our homes to attend class, work in the city or have fun, we should not have to worry about whether or not we will make it home.
We deserve to go to school and learn, to go out and experience our community, to have joy inour everyday lives without fearing a bullet.
For the young people in Columbus, the city has to do more.
The problem hasn’t been solved by a curfew or an increased police presence.
What police are saying about shootings: Short North shooting: Columbus Police says police presence wasn't the issue
However, this is not just a Columbus issue. These incidents are occurring daily across the country. But Ohio’s relaxed gun laws leave all its citizens more at risk. My generation has been plagued by this new kind of fear and violence.
More death and injuries are inevitable without someone taking the initiative to act against it
Phoebe Helms is a 2024 graduate from the Ohio State University with degrees in journalism and political science. The New Albany High School alumna is pursuing her masters of public policy at the University of Virginia.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Short North shooting new reason for Ohio State, Columbus to do more
