COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — Columbus Police and Uptown Columbus Inc. have taken steps to prevent people from gathering along Bay Avenue late at night.
The move comes after 18-year-old Kalielah Davis was shot to death on the riverfront street Sept. 5. Five suspects have been arrested and charged with her murder.
Police have now closed off the section of Bay Avenue on Friday and Saturday nights beginning at 11 p.m. The restrictions apply to both foot and vehicle traffic.
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"We close majority of our parks 10:30 p.m., 11:00 p.m., and Woodruff Park is down there. So, we just came up with the idea, why don't we just close from 11th and Bay all the way around, just close that whole area off," said Columbus Police Chief Stoney Mathis.
The changes were put in place after the late-night shooting that killed Davis and landed five suspects — including two 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old — in jail on murder charges.
The area includes restaurants and businesses, but none are open past 11 p.m. It also features a playground and a splash pad that are typically used only in the early evening hours.
"We have our bar crowd, but that's up on Broadway," said Steve Morse, president and CEO of Uptown Columbus Inc. "So this is a little bit more isolated and secluded after 11 p.m. at night. We're trying to ensure that we keep it safe throughout the evening."
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Mathis said police had not been paying close attention to the section of Bay Avenue until recently.
"We keep the Uptown area relatively safe, but we weren't paying attention to that area down there because it's off the beaten path," Mathis said. "So when those young kids, especially in the summer, started congregating down there, it started causing some problems."
The restrictions began two weeks ago.
The area is barricaded at 11th and Bay Avenue and on Front Avenue at 10th Street. Enforcement is handled by off-duty Columbus Police officers working the Uptown security detail.
"Curfew means that it is closed to the general public. And it stays that way until about 3:30 a.m., and that's on Friday and Saturday night," Morse said.
More details on the fatal shooting are expected on Tuesday afternoon.
Four of the suspects — 21-year-old Kacin Grant, 15-year-old Noah Toney, 15-year-old Ty'Ron Cherry, and 18-year-old Lamarcus Williams — are scheduled to appear in Columbus Recorder's Court.
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