Woman celebrating birthday fatally shot outside Ohio bar, family says. Another killed

Two women were shot and killed outside a bar in Ohio, according to local news reports. One of them had been out celebrating her birthday, her family said.

A 911 caller reported hearing gunshots shortly before midnight on Sept. 13 outside Double D’s Pub in Columbus, according to WSYX.

An argument broke out, leading to the shooting, the outlet reported, citing police.

One woman, identified as Tavia Copley, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

Another woman, Taya Mollette, 24, was transported to a hospital and died about one hour later, according to the outlet.

Friends and family members of the deceased women took to Facebook to voice their reactions.

“I am sad to let everyone know my granddaughter Tavia Paige Copley was shot tonight and passed away,” Brenda Marcum Grommeck wrote in a post. “She was out celebrating her birthday which would (have) been this Friday. She would (have) been 25 years old.”

“I’ll forever have a special spot in my heart for you,” Charisma Estep wrote in a post about Mollette. “You forever had my back.”

A third victim, who was not identified, was transported to a hospital in critical condition and later stabilized, according to WCMH.

A male suspect, who has not been identified, is at large, according to the outlet, citing police.

A spokesperson for the Columbus Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on Sept. 14.

There were 1,825 firearm-related deaths in 2022 in Ohio, marking a slight decrease from 2021, according to a report from WSYX.