ID released from deadly weekend mass shooting that hurt 5; City declines interviews on violence

SPRINGFIELD — Five people were hurt in a shooting that ended with one person dead on Clifton Avenue Sunday morning, Springfield Police said.

Springfield Police and medics responded to the 1200 block of Clifton Avenue around 2:30 a.m. after getting a report of a shooting from multiple 911 callers.

“I’m positive I just got woke up by a bunch of gunshots,” a 911 caller told dispatchers. “I swear I heard like 15-17 shots.”

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A woman ended up being found dead at the scene and police said two other shooting victims had already gone to Springfield Regional Medical Center.

The woman killed was identified as De’Arion Welliford, 23, of Springfield, according to the Clark County Coroner’s Office.

The city has not clarified whether the other two people hurt were shot or injured in another way.

No arrests in the shooting have been announced, however police said it “was not a random incident.”

The people who were hurt ranged in age from 19 to 24, Springfield police said.

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Springfield Shooting

The shooting is the latest in a string of high-profile shootings over the last 12 months, where multiple people have died or been injured by gunfire in the city.

News Center 7 asked for interviews with Springfield Police Chief Lee Graff, Springfield Mayor Warren Copeland and the city’s council members about the violence, but the city declined to make any of them available for our questions.

“The only appropriate person to speak about the issues you describe is Chief Graf, and he has declined to be interviewed,” said city spokeswoman Valerie Lough.

In April, Springfield Police investigated a deadly shooting at an apparently homeless camp outside the Springfield Soup Kitchen in the area of West Main and North Jackson streets.

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A month earlier, Springfield Police also investigated a deadly shooting on South Yellow Springs Street during a birthday party that ended with a 16-year-old dead and two others hurt.

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Two other shootings last year, including a mass shooting in June, also have been investigated by the department.

In July, Emil Witherspoon opened fire at the Speedway gas station on South Burnett Road in a shooting that killed a man and injured three others, including two children. Witherspoon was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, but was found dead from apparent self-inflicted injuries.

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The mass shooting in June took place at the same location where the birthday party shooting happened in March.

In the mass shooting, six people were hurt after police said multiple shooters fired shots at a gathering.

Following last year’s mass shooting, Graf, Copeland and Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck held a news conference, where Graf said the department had been gearing up for what could be a violent summer with multiple instances of gun violence.

Graf said at the time that there is a small number of people who are involved or responsible for gun violence. The chief said police were working to secure convictions and bring people to justice who are causing the violence.

News Center 7 is working to find out if anyone was ever arrested or charged with last June’s shooting.

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