Teen Walks Into Ashland Hospital With Gunshot Wound, Launching Overnight Police Response and SRT Activation
ASHLAND — A 16-year-old male who walked into UH Samaritan Medical Center late Tuesday night with a gunshot wound to the right shoulder triggered an hours-long police response across multiple locations in Ashland, eventually involving the city’s Special Response Team (SRT) and shifting the investigation to Richland County.
According to Ashland Police Division Chief Dave Lay, officers were dispatched to the hospital at 10:01 p.m. on November 25 after the teenager entered the emergency department with a gunshot wound and was reluctant to share details about what had happened.
Officers checked areas around the hospital but found no immediate scene connected to the shooting.
Timeline of the Night
10:02pm — Received call of a 16-year-old male who walked into UH Samaritan Medical Center
11:26 p.m. — Police were able to gather information that led them to an address on Pleasant Street.
11:44 p.m. — The Ashland SRT Team was activated.
Approximately 2:00 a.m., Nov. 26 — SRT entered a residence on Pleasant Street, where a person of interest was located, Chief Lay confirmed.
From there, activity shifted to another location.
Diamond Court — Police secured a residence and towed a vehicle from the area early Wednesday morning. A section of the property had been taped off, though Chief Lay said “in the event a search warrant would be needed.
Case Turns Over to Richland County
Chief Lay said police now believe the shooting did not occur in Ashland County at all, but rather in Richland County. Because of that, the case has been transferred to the Richland County Sheriff’s Office.
Major Jim Sweat of the Richland County Sheriff’s Office confirmed he has been contacted but noted the case is extremely new, and he currently has no information available for release.
Chief Lay emphasized that Ashland Police provided their portion of the investigation—responding to the hospital, locating a person of interest, and towing a vehicle connected to the case—but all further details must come from Richland County as they take command of the investigation.
“There are a lot of moving parts,” Lay said. “Richland County is just now getting all this information, so they’re behind the curve also. We responded to the hospital, located the person of interest on Pleasant Street, and towed a car from Diamond Court. From here, it’s their case.”
The teen has since been transferred from UH Samaritan to a Columbus-area hospital for additional treatment.
More information is expected to be released once Richland County investigators complete their initial review and establish where the shooting occurred and what led up to it.
