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Video: Children nearly gunned down in chaotic Ohio parking lot firefight

Posted at 3:25 PM, May 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-09 18:43:32-04

Cleveland police have released surveillance footage of a gangland-style drive-by shooting from February in which small children were nearly gunned down in the crossfire.

The shooting happened around 6:30 p.m. at a convenience store located in Cleveland, on Feb. 19.

According to the footage, there was a gunfight in the parking lot. Two parked SUVs in front of the store were targeted in the drive-by. 

Camera footage of the shooting shows three cars pull into the parking lot and the occupants inside open fire on the two vehicles. A man and two children who just exited the store were mere feet from where the bullets ricocheted off the building's walls.

A different camera angle shows the three cars drive into the parking lot and open fire on a Mazda Tribute and a Jeep Compass. The front passenger of one of the cars can be seen shooting a handgun out of the window while the rear passenger fires what appears to be an assault rifle at the Jeep as it flees the area. 

A passenger of the Mazda is seen on camera shooting back at the three cars as they drive off. A few moments later, the passengers of the Mazda get out of the vehicle and jump into another car that pulled up. The occupants of the Mazda were shown on video all armed with handguns.

Police said the Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen that sits across the street was also hit during the gunfight.

One person was injured in the shooting, according to a Cleveland police report. The victim was later identified by police as the driver of the Mazda. He was arrested and charged with having weapons under disability and improper discharge at or into a habitation. After police took the man into custody, he was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.