Reward offered for OTR shooting suspects
CINCINNATI — In a weekend shooting incident outside an Over-The-Rhine bar, at least 15 shots were fired that injured nine people, investigators said.
The nine people have all since been released from the hospital and police said they ranged in age between 23 to 47.
Cincinnati Police Department Assistant Chief Michael John said at approximately 1:39 a.m. Sunday, officers responded to Main and 13th streets in OTR to disperse a large disorderly crowd. Two groups were involved in a physical altercation.
At least two individuals involved in the altercation pulled out firearms and exchanged gunfire near the intersection of Main and Woodward streets.
Video shows people frantically running past his building at 1302 Main St. during rapid gunfire.
Two officers assigned to the Civil Disturbance Response Team saw an individual shooting south of that intersection on Main Street. CPD said one of those CDRT officers, Joe Shook, discharged one round from their gun at that individual. CPD said the individual fled east toward Sycamore Street.
“We have one Cincinnati police officer that discharged one round, and we do not know if that officer struck the individual that he was firing the gun at,” John said. “What I can tell you is the individual he was shooting at was actively firing a firearm at that time.”
CPD said Shook has been with the department since January 2016. Assistant Chief John said Shook’s actions undoubtedly saved lives.
John said CPD deployed two “bang balls” — percussion instruments used by police — into the street to disperse the large crowd and attend to the injured. He said officers then applied tourniquets at the scene.
Police had Main Street shut down at multiple different cross streets for multiple hours. All roads have since reopened.
Alongside the OTR shooting, John said there was also another shooting incident in the Central Business District where two people were shot. John said the two incidents were not connected.
“Today’s events are completely and totally unacceptable,” said Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval. “The use of guns to solve disputes cannot become a normal part of our culture. I want to express the City’s gratitude to the officers on the scene. Their quick response likely saved many more from injury and prevented loss of life.”
Police continue to investigate the shooting and said the investigation’s still in preliminary stages.
“We know that a lot of people that left the scene that may have seen something,” John said. “We’re looking for any witness statements we can get. So, if somebody has something — if they have video footage, something on their phone — of course we would want to use that to see if we can ascertain exactly how this event evolved.”
CPD is currently looking for at least two shooters and is offering a $5,000 reward that leads to their arrests. Anyone who may have witnessed this incident or has additional information should contact the CPD Criminal Investigations Section at (513)352-3542.