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A Cleveland realtor accidentally filmed himself fleeing from gunfire after recording a property listing video on social media.
Aiden Avtgis was sitting outside a house in eastern Cleveland's Forest Hills neighborhood on May 21 when a shootout broke out. The young realtor, who is a team lead at ReMax Infinity, was filming a video about purchasing investment properties.
In the now-viral clip, he said: 'I just bought three houses in Cleveland, Ohio, for $60,000 each.' He would soon see firsthand why the properties were so cheap.
The video shows Avtgis sitting on the wide rail of the steps leading up to the house's porch looking intently past the camera as a group of men can be heard shouting inaudibly.
The men then yelled, 'Oh yeah,' as Avtgis sprung up and ran inside the house. As the realtor fled, a large exchange of gunfire could be heard as more than a dozen shots rang out.
The video, which Avtgis posted to his Instagram under the handle aidenrealtor, has racked up nearly 6 million views and around 245,000 likes as of Wednesday morning.
Avtgis told News 5 Cleveland that he immediately called police after the shootout. 'The response is a lot slower than what I was used to growing up where I grew up,' he said.
Shootings in eastern Cleveland occur regularly. According to Cleveland Police Calls for Service data, there have been eight 911 calls placed for shots fired within about a one-mile radius of Thornhill Drive over the past month.
Cleveland Realtor Aiden Avtgis accidentally recorded the sounds of a shootout while recording a property listing video for social media
Avtgis could be seen fleeing from the gunfire as dozens of shots rang out. His video has gone viral and received nearly 6 million views on Instagram
In the video, Avtgis said he had purchased three houses in Cleveland for $60,000 each. The shootout he witnessed seems to explain why the properties were so cheap
More broadly, Police District 5, which covers eastern Cleveland, has received 116 calls for shots fired over the same period. That is an average of around four per day.
Indeed, a resident of the block named Michael Nonley told News 5 Cleveland, 'It's a common thing.'
'I'm not safe, in fact I'm looking to move,' he added. 'Something does need to be done.'
Avtgis told the outlet he is aware that his viral video will make renting or selling property in the area more difficult, but that he did not want to hide the truth.
'If you're investing in these areas, I think you need to be aware of the consequences of what can happen. Something needs to change,' he said.
Commenters on the viral video seemed to largely view it in a humorous or lighthearted manner despite the way it highlighted how common gun violence in the area is.
The shooting took place on this residential street called Thornhill Drive in Eastern Cleveland, where shootings are common, according to locals and 911 call data
'Making sure rent stay low,' one person wrote.
'Welcome to the neighborhood!' another quipped.
'LMFAO this how you prevent gentrification,' a third added.
The Cleveland Police Department shared a statement with the Daily Mail that said: 'The Cleveland Division of Police takes all calls for service seriously and conducts thorough investigations into incidents of this nature.
'We can confirm that officers from the Fifth District received a ShotSpotter Alert in the 900 block of Thornhill Drive on May 21st at approximately 5:12 p.m.
'Officers responded shortly after the alert was received and canvassed the area for victims, evidence, and possible suspects. During their initial investigation, officers were unable to locate any victims, crime scene evidence, or suspects connected to the incident.
'The safety of our community and the individual shown in the video remain a priority. Fortunately, no injuries were reported as a result of this incident.'
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