CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Police data shows the West End is a hotspot for gun violence, with 18 shootings so far this year — one of which took place just before 1 a.m. Friday.

The West End Community Council is working with several different groups to change that.

"We follow the priorities of the neighborhood and they're saying they want it to stop and not be scared of coming out of their apartment," said Andria Carter with the Community Partnering Center.

She's been working in the West End for more than three years trying to stop gun violence by addressing conditions that lead to violence.

"We've been able to concentrate on litter, more lighting," she said.

They're also working to increase visibility by cutting back trees, adding more cameras and making current cameras more visible.

Keith Blake, safety committee chair of the West End Community Council, said this is just one strategy they've implemented.

"We have our monthly safety sector meetings with the police department," he said.

The CPD program, PIVOT, is also active in the neighborhood. PIVOT stands for Place-based Investigations of Violent Offender Territories and is a program that teams law enforcement officers with property owners and city departments to target known crime problem spots.

CPD data shows the program significantly reduced shootings in parts of Over-the-Rhine last year.

In the West End, the partnership with police continues beyond PIVOT.

"The results from police investigations help us understand why an incident occurred," Blake said. "And once we get a better understanding of why they do what they do, then you can develop strategies to address it."

There's also a broader network working with some Cincinnati neighborhoods to address gun violence called the Community Peace Builder Network.

"What we want to do is bring them around the table and build what we call an ecosystem. Through that ecosystem we put together all of the components that basically address the issue and make sure that we're supporting each of those levels," Pastor Ennis Tait said.

The network is currently in East Westwood, Winton Terrace and Avondale. It works with individuals and groups that are already in the neighborhood doing anti-gun violence work but gives them additional resources.

Tait said their goal is to expand into OTR and the West End by the end of the year.

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CINCINNATI — A Cincinnati police officer was attacked and beaten with a metal pipe after responding to a 911 call for a reported robbery near Sixth and Elm Friday night said Dan Hils, Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police President.

The attack occurred after officer Johnny Harris, a 16-year CPD veteran was attempting to talk with a robbery suspect, Hils said.

The suspect, Charlando Peoples, 34, is accused of having used a concealed metal pipe to attack the officer, causing serious physical harm including several broken bones in Harris' face.

Officer Harris will need reconstructive surgery, Hils said.

Peoples faces numerous charges including assault, robbery, resisting arrest and felonious assault. He is being held on $365,000 bond. Peoples next day in court is July 18.

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CINCINNATI — A teenager was taken to the hospital after a drive-by shooting in Avondale Friday evening, Cincinnati police said.

Officers responded to the 600 block of Prospect Place for a reported shooting at around. Police said a 17-year-old was shot in the eye. The teen's condition is unknown, as is the number of victims and suspects.

A WCPO crew at the scene said officers told a man who said it was his nephew who had been shot that his nephew was still alive and had been taken to the hospital.

Police have not provided a description of the vehicle involved in the drive-by shooting.

WCPO will update this story with more information when it is available.

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CINCINNATI — Four teens were taken into custody Friday after a brief police pursuit that led to a crash in Delhi, CPD Lt. Jonathan Cunningham said.

The crash happened Friday afternoon after there was a car stolen from the Western Hills Target parking lot at 6150 Glenway Ave. From there, police were involved in a pursuit that led into Delhi where the stolen car crashed into a brick wall at the intersection of Anderson Ferry and Cleves Warsaw.

Here's another view from the crash:

Adam Singhoff

Cunningham said four juveniles were taken into custody after the crash.

Police did not say if any people were injured or other cars were damaged during the incident.

It is also unclear how the four juveniles stole the car from the Target parking lot.

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HAMILTON, Ohio — Hamilton police are investigating after a report of two people dead appears to be a murder and subsequent suicide, Hamilton police Lt. Donald H. Taylor said.

Just before 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning, officers responded to 676 Rockford Drive in Hamilton for a report of two dead individuals.

Investigations so far show that the incident is the result of an apparent murder then suicide, Taylor said.

Police said the identities of those dead won't be released until they're assured families have been notified.

Police have not given any indication as to what lead up to the murder and suicide, as well.

The investigation into the deaths is still ongoing, but police said they are not searching for any additional suspects.

This is a developing story and WCPO will update when more information is available.

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CINCINNATI — Two men were indicted Friday for the shooting death of 33-year-old Lorenzo Gray, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said.

Marquez Coleman, 27, and Charlie Dailey, 26, were each indicted on one count of aggravated murder, one count of murder, one count of felonious assault and two counts of having weapons under disability.

If convicted, Coleman and Dailey could face life in prison.

The indictments come after Gray was shot to death June 19. Dailey allegedly drove Coleman and an unidentified third suspect to a park near 1769 Carll Street. Coleman and the third suspect exited Dailey's vehicle, approached Gray and shot him multiple times, Deters said. The three then fled.

Gray was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to Deters, at the time of the shooting, Gray was standing in front of his infant child.

Coleman was facing four pending felony indictments at the time of the shooting, and he was out on bond with an ankle monitor. Since May 5, Coleman had an active warrant out for his arrest due to cutting that ankle monitor off.

Coleman's pending indictments include drug trafficking, drug possession and more.

Dailey was also out on bond facing three pending indictments at the time of the murder. He was ordered to wear an ankle monitor as well, which was monitoring his location at the time of the murder, Deters said.

His other pending indictments included trafficking fentanyl, improper handling of a firearm and more.

Deters said both indictments are a prime example of failures in the justice system. He also disagreed with the use of ankle monitors and said they're "not sufficient" to protect people.

"A man was murdered in front of his infant child by two men who should have never been on the street," Deters said. "This has to change."

Both men are being held in the Hamilton County Justice Center.

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OXFORD, Ohio — A Miami University student's death is under investigation, the Butler County Coroner's Office said.

Allyson Webb, 19, was found dead Nov. 5 at the 400 block of Oak Street in Oxford.

The coroner's office has not given a cause of death.

Miami University released a statement Nov. 7 regarding Webb's death.

"We are heartbroken to lose this member of our community and send our condolences to our student's family and friends," the university said.

The university said Webb lived on campus in Hamilton Hall.

Miami did not give any more specifics into her death and said no more information would be provided as they honor the family's request for privacy.

Counseling services were made available to residents of Hamilton Hall, as well as any Miami University students who need it.

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FOREST PARK, Ohio — A 17-year-old was transported to the hospital Thursday night after a shooting in Forest Park, Forest Park police said.

Around 7:52 p.m., Forest Park police responded to a report of someone shot along Fairborn Road.

There, officers found a 17-year-old inside a residence that had been shot in the chest.

The juvenile was transported to UC Medical Center where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released.

Forest Park police did not say if they've arrested anyone for the shooting or if they have any suspects.

If you have any information regarding the shooting, you're asked to call the Forest Park Police Department at 513-595-5220 or Crimestoppers at 513-352-3040.

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CINCINNATI — Police have cleared the Kroger store in Corryville after a report of a bomb threat.

The threat was made around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, and the store, which is located at 1 W Corry Blvd., was evacuated.

People could be seen re-entering the store around 5:10 p.m., and police also reopened the parking lot.

The Corryville threat comes after six different Kroger stores in the Tri-State received bomb threats on Saturday and Sunday.

Stores in Bellevue, Erlanger, Oakley, Cold Spring, North College Hill and Newport all received threats, investigators said.

All of those threats were unfounded when police cleared the stores.

According to an incident report from the threat in North College Hill, the store received two threats from an anonymous man calling on the phone — one that said there was a bomb in the store and another saying someone was coming to the store with a bomb in a backpack. The report also says that the caller's voice sounded calm and had no distinct accent.

Police believe those threats were part of a nationwide hoax that has been hitting different retail stores.

A Kroger spokesperson previously said they are aware of the "suspicious activity" at several Kroger locations in the Tri-State area.

"The safety and well-being of our associates and customers are our top priority," the Kroger spokesperson said. "We are working closely with local law enforcement and the FBI to investigate similar threats that have taken place around the country at many retail stores."

CINCINNATI — A sixth Kroger store in the Tri-State has been evacuated this weekend due to a bomb threat.

Police responded to the North College Hill Kroger along Hamilton Avenue for a reported bomb threat, North College Hill police said.

The parking lot could be seen taped off, and employees were gathered at the nearby Perkins restaurant.

Emily Gibney/WCPO

North College Hill police quickly cleared the store, and employees began returning just after 11:30 a.m.

According to a incident report from the threat, the store received two threats from an anonymous man calling on the phone — one that said there was a bomb in the store and another saying someone was coming to the store with a bomb in a backpack. The report also says that the caller's voice sounded calm and had no distinct accent.

The threats in North College Hill come after five other Kroger stores were evacuated and cleared by police Saturday due to bomb threats.

Police responded to the Erlanger Kroger in Kenton County for a reported bomb threat Saturday afternoon.

Store management at the Erlanger Kroger was seen turning vehicles away from the parking lot, and customers and employees could be seen outside in the parking lot evacuated from the store.

Drew Tanner/WCPO

Employees were seen re-entering the Erlanger Kroger just before 2:30 p.m.

The Kroger in Cold Spring near Northern Kentucky University was also evacuated and closed for almost two hours due to a bomb threat, workers at the store said.

The Oakley Kroger Marketplace also received a threat around 12:30 p.m., CPD's Lt. Jonathan Cunningham said. Cunningham didn't specify that it was a bomb threat.

The store could be seen evacuated and surrounded by caution tape.

Drew Tanner/WCPO

Cunningham said nothing was found at the store, and it reopened around 4 p.m.

Those incidents came after two other Northern Kentucky Kroger stores — Newport and Bellevue — were cleared by police earlier Saturday.

Bellevue police sent an email alert about the Bellevue and Newport threats around 10:50 a.m., and both stores were evacuated as a precaution.

Around 12:40 p.m., Bellevue police said the stores had been "checked, cleared, and reopened."

While police investigated, a few police cars could be seen outside of the Newport Kroger while employees and customers stood far away from the building.

Marc Price/WCPO

Bellevue and Erlanger police said they believe these threats are part of a nationwide hoax that has been going on in the past few months. Bellevue police also said they have looped the FBI in on the situation.

A Kroger spokesperson said they are aware of the "suspicious activity" at several Kroger locations in the Tri-State area.

"The safety and well-being of our associates and customers are our top priority," the Kroger spokesperson said. "We are working closely with local law enforcement and the FBI to investigate similar threats that have taken place around the country at many retail stores."

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CINCINNATI — A man was shot and killed early Saturday morning in Mount Airy, Cincinnati police said.

Around 1 a.m., officers responded to the 2500 block of North Bend Road where they found a 32-year-old man who was shot.

That man was transported to UC Medical Center where he died, police said.

It's unclear what led up to the shooting, and CPD didn't release any suspect information.

This is an ongoing investigation and anyone with information is asked to called CPD's Homicide Unit at 513-352-3542.

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FAIRFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A Fairfield Township woman has died almost one month after she was set on fire and jumped out of a second-story window, said Sgt. Brandon McCroskey with Fairfield Township police.

McCroskey said Brenda Scott died Friday afternoon.

On May 11, police responded to the 2600 block of Arroyo Ridge where they found Scott on fire in the backyard.

Body camera footage released in May shows an officer arriving at the home and finding Scott. The video blurs out her face and only their conversation is heard.

BODY CAM: Police respond to woman set on fire, arrest suspect

"Severe burns," the officer says. "Back here on the ground — severely burned."

Investigators said Scott jumped from the second-story window while on fire. The officer asks her to stay with him, telling her that medics are on their way.

"I gotta breathe," Scott tells the officer. "My inhaler's in the house ... I can't breathe, he knocked my teeth out."

The video then shows police taking 23-year-old Robbi Davon Robinson Jr. into custody.

According to police, Scott was in a bedroom on the second story of the home when Robinson assaulted her then set her on fire. Police said he resided in the home and referred to Scott as his stepmother.

Robinson is currently book in the Butler County Jail for first-degree aggravated arson and second-degree felonious assault.

Scott was airlifted to UC Medical Center in critical condition.

Dennis Williams, a neighbor, was the one to find Scott laying in the backyard and called 911.

Williams said it was a normal day of working from home, until he heard his dog barking in an unusual way. This got him outside, where he found Scott laying on the grass and yelling for help.

"I said, 'what happened, what happened?' and she said, 'he set me on fire,'" Williams said.

He said he could immediately tell she was badly injured.

"She had just terrible, terrible burns on — I mean I'm no expert, but at least half her body — I mean terrible burns," Williams said. "She wasn't still on fire at that point, but there was a little bit of flame next to her that was dying."

At the time, he said he wasn't thinking, he was just doing what needed to be done. By Friday morning, he had had some time to process it all.

"Pretty traumatizing to see and everything that happened, but again I'm glad I was in a position to help," Williams said.

Now that Scott has died, McCroskey said the Fairfield Township Police Department will work closely with the Butler County Prosecuting Attorney's Office to see if there will be any new or additional charges against Robinson.

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CLERMONT COUNTY, Ohio — Newly obtained body camera footage from the Clermont County Sheriff's Office shows Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey pulled over for speeding.

The video shows McGuffey pulled over in her personal vehicle, a Ford F-150 truck. The Clermont County deputy says she was clocked at 72 mph in a 55 mph zone.

When the deputy asks for McGuffey's identification, she first tells him she's the sheriff in Hamilton County.

Watch the full body cam video below:

BODY CAM: Hamilton County Sheriff pulled over for speeding, let go with warning

McGuffey tells the deputy that a Hamilton County sheriff's deputy died the day prior and she was in the process of dealing with that loss.

"One of our recruits died yesterday, and I'm still on the phone trying to get this together," McGuffey told the Clermont County deputy.

Deputy Marcus Ziegler died May 26 due to a medical emergency he experienced while participating in police academy activities. Ziegler had been with the sheriff's office for 9 months and was enrolled at Great Oaks' Peace Officer Academy.

McGuffey then apologizes to the deputy for speeding and offers her card before diving back in to the circumstances surrounding Ziegler's death.

"We're just trying to get it all the information out and work with the family and stuff," McGuffey said.

The Clermont County deputy lets McGuffey off with a warning.

"I have your information and everything like that," he said. "I'll let you go with a warning."

McGuffey apologizes once more before the two part ways.

"I swear to god I normally drive great," the sheriff said while laughing.

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CINCINNATI — The man that shot and killed a prominent businessman on I-75 North in May was indicted on multiple charges Thursday, and Prosecutor Melissa Powers revealed the shooting wasn't road rage-induced like previously believed.

Powers indicted 37-year-old Randall Mickey for the May 13 shooting that killed Michael T. Sweeney, a prominent businessman in the Tri-State auto industry.

Geo. H. Rohde & Son Funeral Home

Mickey is facing two counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault, two counts of having weapons under disability and tampering with evidence. He is facing life in prison if convicted on all charges.

Powers also revealed that Mickey shot at the 70-year-old man's vehicle on I-75 over drug money, not road rage.

Powers said Sweeney and two women drove to a gas station along Montana Avenue on May 13. There, one of the women, Kimberly Cragwell, bought drugs from Mickey.

Mickey believed Cragwell shorted him on money and confronted Sweeney's vehicle, but Sweeney and the women drove off. Mickey then followed Sweeney's vehicle onto the interstate where he fired two shots at the vehicle, striking the businessman in the head causing him to crash, Powers said.

Sweeney later died at the hospital May 15 due to his injuries. No one else was injured in the shooting or crash.

Powers said that Cragwell lied to police by saying it was a road rage incident. She has now been charged with obstructing justice, which is a felony of the third degree.

"It is tragic and unbelievable that a man lost his life over a mere $2," Powers said.

Police arrested Mickey on June 2, and his bond was previously set in court at $1 million.

Mickey has multiple prior felony convictions and was on parole for drug and weapons charges at the time of the shooting. He was released from the Lebanon Correctional Institution on Jan. 30, 2023.

"There is no understanding the senseless actions of this individual," Powers said. "Yet, it is undeniably clear that he should spend the rest of his life in prison."

BETHEL, Ohio — A 38-year-old man was arrested in Bethel after shooting his roommate during a dispute Wednesday afternoon, the Clermont County Sheriff's Office said.

Around 1:54 p.m., the Clermont County Communications Center received a 911 call from a man who said his neighbor has been shot in the 2000 block of Spring Street in Tate Township.

Deputies responded to the residence and found a 36-year-old woman shot in the back, but her injuries were non-life-threatening.

She was transported to UC Medical Center by Air Care, and she remains in stable condition.

That woman identified Jesse Herndon, 38, as the man that shot her.

Just before 2:15 p.m., deputies located Herndon and arrested him, the sheriff's office said. He was taken to Clermont Mercy Hospital as a precaution.

The sheriff's office said he refused to provide a statement or cooperate with detectives during their investigation.

The 38-year-old has been charged with one count of felonious assault, a felony of the second degree.

Herndon will be transported to the Clermont County Jail after being medically cleared. He is set to be in court Thursday morning at 9 a.m. for his arraignment.

The sheriff's office is continuing to investigate the shooting.

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A father charged with murder for allegedly abusing his infant daughter in Fairfield that resulted in her death was back in court Thursday where he was appointed an attorney and entered not guilty pleas.

John Lincoln Powers, 24, was co-parenting his 2-month-old child, Kiara, at a residence on Merlin Way in May when the incident occurred, according prosecutors. He went to Gainsville, Texas, after the death of his daughter and was arrested there after the indictment was handed down on Dec. 12.

The Butler County Coroner’s Office listed Kiara’s death as a homicide with the cause of death being blunt head trauma.

Powers was transported back to Ohio and booked into the Butler County Jail on Dec. 19. He was arraigned by common pleas Judge Jennifer McElfresh on Dec. 21, who set bond at $1 million.

At Thursday’s hearing, defense attorney Arcia Underwood requested a bond reduction. McElfresh denied the motion. Powers is scheduled to be back in court Jan. 26 for a hearing where a trial date may be set.

During the early morning hours of May 10, Powers called 911 saying the baby was unresponsive. She was transported to an area hospital and pronounced dead, according to prosecutors.

The indictment states the abuse occurred between April 3 and May 10. Prosecutors say the abuse was not apparent to the mother of the child and happened when the baby was in the care of Powers.

Police and the coroner’s office conducted an investigation that resulted in the indictment.

CINCINNATI — A Cincinnati Parking Enforcement Officer nearly escaped being shot Friday evening on Wyoming Avenue in West Price Hill.

Radio traffic recordings captured the enforcer's first report to dispatchers just before 6:40 p.m.

"There's a very irate man who just shot at me," the officer said." He's gone now."

The victim told dispatchers that he was instructing another man to move his vehicle out of the street when the shooter got mad at him.

"All I did was ask a vehicle to move from blocking the street and he just went nuts," he said, "And then as soon as he pulled past my car he shot at me."

Captain Joe Richardson said the parking officer was simply trying to do his job.

"He wasn't even writing a ticket," Richardson said.

He said the gunman fled north in a small silver sedan with temporary tags in the back left window.

"Luckily the parking enforcement agent wasn't hit," Richardson said.

Three bullets hit the side of the officer's patrol car, but the officer luckily wasn't injured.

"He's all right," Richardson said. "He was remarkably calm and professional through this whole encounter."

One person on scene was put into handcuffs and taken into custody, but Richardson couldn't say what charges, if any, he would face.

"He has some tangential relationship with this, and he was here for it," he said.

The captain said parking officers in Cincinnati have rarely been the target of violence at this level.

"This is the only time that I can recall that a parking enforcement officer being shot at," he said. "I mean, they're just trying to make the city better."

Anyone with information can call Cincinnati Police or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (513)352-3040.

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MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Police plan to search multiple locations Saturday for a Dayton woman last seen in late December whose car was found more than a week later in Middletown.

Maj. Brian Johns announced the search will start at 9 a.m. and involve approximately 30 to 40 people, including Dayton police officers and volunteers from EquuSearch, a search and recovery organization.

It has been six weeks since 30-year-old Cierra J. Chapman was last seen when she met her ex-boyfriend on Dec. 27 at an Autumn Woods Drive apartment in Trotwood. Her sister reported Chapman missing on Dec. 29 and on Jan. 6 police found her 2014 Cadillac SRX in Middletown, Johns said previously.

Because crews will be using different equipment, including drones, ATVs and canine units, the search on Saturday will not be open to the public.

Instead, Johns encouraged people to call police with any information.

A reward is available through Miami Valley Crime Stoppers for anyone whose information leads investigators to Chapman or to those who are responsible for her disappearance.

“She didn’t go missing by accident,” Johns said. “This is a very well-planned out, well-orchestrated incident and people know.”

Police will notify private property owners ahead of time if they plan to check the property.

Johns declined to release details about what areas they’d be searching, but said they determined the locations through the course of the investigation.

“We have searched extensively for Miss Chapman,” he said. “We’ve been working around the clock diligently, following up on all leads and evidence.”

Police previously searched from Dayton to Middletown while partnering with various area search organizations.

During a January press conference, Johns called Chapman’s disappearance “very suspicious.”

“We’re just trying to find her and bring her home. Her family’s very worried about her, as are we,” he said. “This is very strange behavior for her. We’re worried that something bad has happened to her.”

When asked Wednesday if Chapman could be dead Johns said it was a possibility, but that police were still holding out hope.

“We need the public’s help on this,” Johns said. “Cierra is a mother; she is a daughter. Her family misses her and we need to find her and solve this case.”

Anyone with information or a tip regarding Chapman is asked to call Dayton police at 937-333-COPS (2677) or Miami Valley Crime Stoppers at 937-222-STOP (7867).

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MOUNT ORAB, Ohio — A woman was indicted Thursday for the September 2022 death of her 11-week-old infant, the Brown County Sheriff's Office said.

Kayla Sullivan, 27, was taken into custody and charged with involuntary manslaughter and endangering children regarding the death of her child.

On Sept. 24, 2022, the sheriff's office said deputies responded to a residence along State Route 286 in Mount Orab for a call about an 11-week-old infant not breathing. The child was taken to Mount Orab Mercy hospital where they were pronounced dead.

After the child's death, the sheriff's office and Brown County Coroner's Office initiated an investigation.

It is unclear when Sullivan will be in court next for the charges.

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FAIRFIELD, Ohio — A West Chester Twp. teen has admitted guilt to her role in a deadly October 2022 shooting at a Fairfield hotel.

The 16-year-old girl was charged with murder, robbery and burglary for conspiring with an accomplice, who was killed in the incident, to steal a firearm from occupants of a room at the Holiday Inn Express.

In the course of the robbery, 18-year-old Kaaree Wade Hipsher-Burton of Cincinnati was shot and found dead during the early morning hours of Oct. 2 in a second-floor hotel hallway, according to police.

On Tuesday, the girl entered a plea of true in Butler County Juvenile Court to the amended charge of involuntary manslaughter. A true plea is the equivalent to a guilty plea in adult court.

The robbery and burglary charges were withdrawn by the prosecution. Judge Eric Niehaus set sentencing for March 9.

The girl could sentenced to the Ohio Department of Youth Services until her 21st birthday or sentenced to ODYS for a period of one to three years. She remains housed in the Butler County Juvenile Detention Center until sentencing.

Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser said the person who fired the shot that killed Hipsher-Burton was acting in self-defense.

“It was self-defense by the guy trying to protect his property and family with a gun pointed at him,” Gmoser said. “She (the teen girl) let the wolf in the door and she is chargeable for being complicit in a crime that got her conspirator killed.”

Gmoser said the prosecutor’s office did not request the case be sent to adult court due to the teen’s age, lack of criminal history and minimal involvement.

“There is no question that she participated in what happened to this fellow in getting killed by her conduct, but the net result is her actual involvement was considerably less in the planning and execution of the whole thing,” Gmoser said.

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CINCINNATI — Cincinnati leaders, community members and Over-the-Rhine residents are all grappling with their emotions after a drive-by shooting Wednesday near Grant Park hurt four people, including two teens and a 10-year-old.

Dozens met Thursday morning with the city manager, assistant city manager and a Cincinnati Police Department representative to discuss ways to prevent gun violence in the area.

One of those people was Rochelle Roe who has an 11-year-old daughter and lives down the road from where the shooting happened.

"She wasn't outside yesterday to witness what happened but from what she saw on the news, she's like, 'Mom, I want to move,'" Roe said. "She's afraid to come outside."

She said she went to the meeting Thursday morning to make her voice heard.

Cincy Insights data shows 33 kids have been shot in Cincinnati so far this year. It's the highest that number has been in 15 years.

City leaders are also reacting to the shooting, with City Manager Sheryl Long sharing her own personal experience with gun violence.

"I think it's important for people to understand that I know where they come from because I have lost a sister to gun violence, and they have not found the shooter. And it happened just like what happened yesterday," she said. "I am triggered along with you and what is even more problematic is that I know we're doing as much as we can as a city."

Long said the city will continue to do as much as it can and work with community members to stop gun violence.

She said the work they're doing now started after the Fourth of July shooting at Smale Park in 2021. This includes enacting gun safety laws and funding community organizations.

"Being safe should not be an option, it should be a right," said Iris Roley, community activist and consultant for the city.

City leaders said they can't solve the problem on their own.

"We need everybody's help. This has to be an all hands on deck situation because this is completely unacceptable," said Assistant City Manager Virginia Tallent.

These city leaders said community partners are key, but they said they see the state as another roadblock, citing the law to allow permitless carry.

"We should be lobbying our state officials who are giving us these laws that we see that are not working in our cities," Roley said.

Those who were in favor of this law when it was passed feel differently.

"This legislation works," previously said Rob Sexton with the Buckeye Firearms Association. "It gives people their God-given right to defend themselves and their loved ones."

City leaders say more community partners are key to reducing gun violence.

"We are having difficulty reaching people, that is a government issue," Long said.

They encourage anyone who would like to get involved to contact the city.

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MONROE, Ohio — A woman accused of throwing a fetus into a Monroe motel trash can has entered into intervention in lieu of conviction plea.

Rebecca Houck, 32, was indicted in March 2021 by a Warren County grand jury for gross abuse of a corpse, a fifth-degree felony. The charge stems from an Oct. 9, 2020, incident in which the fetus was found dead at Motel 75 on Garver Road.

The fetus was 23 to 27 weeks, according to the Warren County Coroner’s Office report — not as far along as first believed. The evidence could not prove the girl was born alive.

“It was still considered to be viable, but you didn’t have evidence of a live birth,” said Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell at the time of the indictment. “The only crime we had was dumping the baby girl in the trash can.”

Houck was taken into custody and transported to Warren County in June 2022.

Houck was in common pleas Judge Tim Tepe’s courtroom in January when her defense team requested the intervention motion after their attempt to get the charge dismissed was overruled.

The defense team indicated drug or alcohol usage by Houck as a factor leading to the crime, according to court documents.

Intervention in lieu of conviction means an eligible defendant pleads guilty but agrees to a treatment plan as ordered by the court. If the defendant successfully completes the intervention plan, the judge dismisses the case.

On Monday, Tepe accepted Houck’s guilty plea and ordered her to comply with an intervention program recommended by the probation department.

Houck will be on community control for three to five years and is ordered to have no alcohol in her residence, undergo and complete alcohol/drug treatment program, successfully complete a mental health treatment, pay fine, court costs and restitution and attend all prenatal care appointments for current pregnancy, according to court documents.

Monroe Police responded to the motel at about 10 a.m. that day on a report of a “possible abandoned baby.”

Warren County Coroner’s investigator Doyle Burke, now retired, previously told Journal-News that the body of a girl was found in a trash can in one of the rooms. The mother had gone to an area hospital after a 911 call was placed.

Also found in the the room were a clear plastic bag containing two grams of a crystal rock substance, a bag containing white powder, gummy worms laced with an unknown substance and paper tabs laced with an unknown substance, possibly acid, according to the Monroe police report.

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati police have released new pictures of the car they believe is involved in a drive-by shooting that left four people, including two teens and a 10-year-old, hurt in Over-The-Rhine.

The drive-by shooting happened Wednesday afternoon near Grant Park, Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge said.

She said there was more than one shooter in what appears to be a black four-door Hyundai with dark-tinted windows.

The photos below show the black Hyundai in the middle of the frame. A large weapon can be seen being aimed out of the rear passenger-side window.

Cincinnati police

OTR mass shooting suspect car

Cincinnati police

A 10-year-old, 14-year-old and 15-year-old were all taken to Cincinnati Children's Hospital with gunshot wounds. A man in his 20s was also shot and sent to UC Medical Center.

Theetge said she doesn't have an update on their conditions, but said all injuries were non-life-threatening.

Police had multiple blocks of McMicken Avenue between Walnut Street and Vine Street shut down for hours. Theetge said at least 59 evidence markers were placed at various locations in the blocked off area. She said most of those markers were shell casings from bullets.

"These were children walking down the street," Theetge said. "That is unacceptable for somebody to think they can drive down the street, fire this many rounds and just keep driving, and think they're going to get away with it."

Theetge couldn't say for sure if someone was targeted, but the juveniles were not with the adult, according to nearby surveillance video she viewed.

Erich Cross/WCPO

"This will not be tolerated," Theetge said. "Not in Cincinnati."

Mayor Aftab Pureval also issued a statement saying "senseless acts of violence will not be tolerated in Cincinnati."

"Our children and our families deserve to spend their days in our community — our pools, our recreation centers, our parks — without any fear," Pureval's statement continues. "My heart is with the families of the victims and our first responders. And our full support is behind Chief Theetge and our entire CPD team as they deliver justice."

Gun violence reduction groups immediately descended on the scene demanding an end to the violence.

Stefan Pryor, a community activist, told WCPO he was nearby when he heard multiple gunshots, and he started recording a video. He said he saw one of the juveniles loaded into one of the four ambulances that arrived to the scene.

People that live in the area told WCPO they are nervous and scared as the shooters remain on the loose. They also said they are angry as gun violence has once again touched young lives in OTR.

Alex Trejo, a painter working on a nearby railing, said he heard the shots and didn't know what to do.

"We heard at least 20, 20 gunshots come off," he said.

He initially thought the pops were fireworks, but knew otherwise when he looked over at kids playing nearby.

"There was some kids actually playing in the playground," Trejo said. "It was like six of them, and they all heard it and they knew what was going on. They knew. They started running."

Aniya H., a resident who's lived nearby for a year and is considering moving, said she has a 4-year-old that could have easily been one of the victims in the shooting.

"I mean, it's just, it's kind of traumatizing," Aniya H. said. "I don't want to be in an area like this, but it's going on everywhere, so you can't even just say this area because shooting violence is everywhere."

There have been multiple shootings in that stretch of northern OTR in the last few months, according to Cincy Insights.

On May 25, a 29-year-old man was found dead on the corner of East Elder and Hamer Streets. On April 28, a 25-year-old was shot to death at the intersection of Main Street and McMicken Avenue. There was also two non-fatal shootings in that area.

The OTR neighborhood is currently topping the list for shootings in Cincinnati so far in 2023.

Data shows that at this time last year, there were 10 shootings reported by the community council. 2023 has surpassed that, with 12 as of May 25.

HENDERSON, Ky. — A body pulled from the Ohio River in Kentucky on Sunday afternoon has been identified as escaped Ohio inmate Bradley Gillespie, Henderson Police Chief Sean McKinney said at a press conference.

Gillespie's body was pulled from the riverfront in Henderson, Kentucky, which is near Evansville, Indiana.

"Today I believe we have closure to our five-day manhunt," McKinney said.

Gillespie, 50, was one of two inmates that escaped from the Allen-Oakwood Correctional Institution in Lima on May 23. The other inmate, James Lee, was arrested by Henderson police early May 24 near the Indiana-Kentucky border.

The now-deceased inmate had been in prison since 2016 after being convicted of a double murder.

Both Lee and Gillespie were able to escape the prison after concealing themselves in a dumpster, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC).

As ODRC conducts an internal investigation into the escape, four employees — one major and three correction officers — were placed on paid administrative leave. ODRC said additional employees could be placed on administrative leave as the investigation continues.

It's unclear at this time if any of those employees will be fired.

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