UPDATE: Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac held a news conference Monday afternoon to give an update on the deadly shooting at Smale Park on Sunday night.
Officers were called to Mehring Way just before 11pm on reports of shots fired. Three victims were found in the area, and one of them was pronounced dead at the scene. That person killed has been identified as 16-year-old Milo Watson. Among the two injured, 19-year-old Dexter Wright Jr, was pronounced dead at the hospital. The third victim, a 17-year-old girl, was shot in the back and is in critical condition. Two other victims arrived at UC Medical Center a short time later with non-life-threatening injuries.
In his Monday update, Chief Isaac says it appears that Watson and Wright were involved in a dispute and shot each other, and the other victims were caught in the crossfire. "Sixteen-year-olds, fifteen-year-olds should be able to come to the park on a given evening, a holiday weekend, and not have to be subject to gunfire," Chief Isaac said.
The chief says officers were already on the scene helping to clear the park when the shooting occurred. He says there have been ongoing challenges in the park, and there will be "additional efforts" to get to root causes of those challenges. He says they'll be reaching out to community partners to increase their involvement. "We want ministers, teachers, mentors... when our young people are out at activities and events, we want responsible adults to be there to supervise. We don't believe that uniformed police officers are necessarily the sole answer to monitor the activity of teens on a holiday weekend," Chief Isaac said.
Mayor John Cranley has put out a statement saying "What happened at Smale Park last night was unacceptable. White both shooters may be dead and our police are still investigating the incident, three innocent bystanders were shot because of the egregious actions of a few." He says he's asking the city manager to convene an advisory group to also address root causes.
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Original Story:
( Cincinnati ) - Police Lt. Colonel Lisa Davis says they have been hearing about these types of stories in other cities across the country---NOW it has come to their own front porch. "It is very frustrating to see this level of violence in a park like Smale in this city"
A mass shooting as a Fourth of July fireworks celebration was ending on the city's riverfront The gun violence occurring in Smale Park and The Banks.
Davis says "There were 400-500 kids in the park, a little before 11 as the fireworks were ending, officers were starting to clear the park out when they heard gunfire and kids started running."
The two people who were killed have been identified as 16 year old Milo Watson and 19 year old Dexter Wright Junior. A third gunshot victim was critically injured and the other two victims are expected to recover.
Police are asking anyone who might have been in the park last night and took photos or cellphone video to contact them thru Crimestoppers at 352-3040.