A 38-year-old woman was fatally shot Wednesday evening, June 18, inside a Cleveland home, and a man has been charged with murder, according to the Cleveland Police Department.
Officers responded at 5:28 p.m. to a home in the 200 block of N. William Barnett St. for a welfare check. Upon arrival, officers found Lewis Burns, 60, standing near the front door. Burns told officers he had shot a woman inside, police said.
Burns was detained, and officers forced entry into the locked residence, where they found the woman lying on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds.
Officers began lifesaving efforts, later joined by Cleveland Fire Department personnel and Allegiance EMS. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene by Justice of the Peace Ralph Fuller.
Burns, a Cleveland resident, was arrested on a first-degree murder charge and booked into the Cleveland Police Department jail.
According to police, Burns and the victim had been in a long-term relationship. Friends of the victim have raised concerns of possible domestic violence.
The investigation is ongoing. Detectives are in the process of securing search warrants, gathering evidence and conducting interviews. Authorities are working to notify the victim’s next of kin, who are believed to live out of state.