CINCINNATI — In what is called an "unprecedented" rise in violence, the Cincinnati Police Department released a statement about the four shootings that occurred in the city overnight that left two dead and three injured.

• One person was shot and killed at Hawaiian Terrace in Mt. Airy on Wednesday night.
• Two people were shot on Linn Street and were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
• One person was shot on West Liberty Street, but had non-life-threatening injuries.
• One person, Diantes Kemper, 42, was found shot on the 1200 block of West Galbraith Road early Thursday morning. He was pronounced dead at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Both of last night's shooting deaths are being investigated as homicides, continuing an upward trend of gun deaths in the city.

"What we have seen in the past 30 days is unprecedented," Cincinnati police stated. "(The Cincinnati Police Department) is continuing to mobilize all of our resources and partnerships to address this violence. We are working with our federal partners like the ATF daily. We will seek federal prosecution for those responsible for our violence. Our message to those individuals committing these brazen crimes, we are coming after you."

Cincinnati Police Assistant Chief Lisa Davis said in a video addressing last night's shootings, the city is inching toward the same number of homicides that occurred in 2020 when there were 82. Cincinnati has had over 70 so far in 2021.

Davis, who runs the department's investigative bureau, said the police department has put a working group in place to deal with the rise in gun violence.

"When looking at numbers, we certainly don't want to compare to 2020, but we are slowly reaching those levels," Davis said in a video statement. "Again, this type of violence won't be tolerated."

Mt. Airy: One dead in shooting at Hawaiian Terrace
West Galbraith: Police investigating early morning homicide

Gun violence has become the biggest issue in the city. Mayoral candidates Aftab Pureval and David Mann addressed the rise in shootings during a debate on Oct. 12. The debate, held at the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater in East Price Hill, was three-and-a-half miles from a triple-shooting that occurred the night before that left two dead. Cincinnati's City Council Neighborhood Committee held a special session the next week to address the violence, but the shootings haven't abated.

Davis said the department is asking for more community involvement, and asked anyone with information on shootings to call Crime Stoppers or use TIP411.

"Everyone deserves a safe neighborhood," Davis said. "We get there through the intelligence portion and the enforcement portion, but the largest part in how we do get there is through community partnership. When we come together against this violence, that's when we end this violence."

Residents can send information to the department through the TIP411 website, or they can call Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040.

CINCINNATI — A Hamilton County Juvenile Court judge dismissed charges Oct. 6 against a Cincinnati teen who had been in custody for two shootings because the "essential witness" was scared and showed no sign that he would testify.

The WCPO 9 I-Team was in court as the prosecutor requested a continuance.

"You cannot proceed without that witness — is that correct," Judge Melissa Powers asked the prosecutor.

"Yes," the prosecutor replied.

The defendant had been held at the Hamilton County Youth Center for seven months, according to his defense attorney.

Lot Tan

"These matters will be dismissed for want of prosecution," Powers said from the bench. "If the witness comes forward, the charges can be refiled."

How often does this happen?

"It's more frequent than you would like," Powers said to the I-Team.

The dramatic surge in Cincinnati shootings during the pandemic prompted a law enforcement crackdown on felons caught with illegal firearms. Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said uncooperative witnesses make it harder to hold those violent criminals accountable for their actions.

"It's really quite sad, because it feeds into that whole problem if people don't step up," Deters said.

Mitch Morris, who works with youth through the Cincinnati Works Phoenix Program, said many witnesses fear "retaliation" because they live near suspects in neighborhoods where shootings have killed people.

"When they talk about retaliation, it's serious," Morris said. "It's for real."

Despite possible fear, Morris said many witnesses are cooperating with police.

"They've been reaching out trying to say something about these shootings, so I can see a change coming," Morris said.

Still, some families of victims are still waiting for much-needed witnesses. LaVonda Evans said she is waiting for someone to come forward with enough evidence to charge the person responsible for the death of her 16-year-old son, LaDarius. LaDarius Evans was shot and killed during a quadruple shooting in June.

Courtesy of LaVonda Evans

Evans spoke at an Aug. 3 city council committee hearing asking city leaders to focus on answers to the community's gun-related violence.

"This was a loss that I had to take,” Evans said. “Half of my heart is gone, and this is what he'd want me to do."

Now, she's hopeful witnesses will overcome their fears and provide the evidence needed to prosecute her son's killer.

You can report information anonymously to police through Crime Stoppers online and by calling 513-352-3040.

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