More and More Kids are Getting Shot in Cincinnati

Seven people were shot on the night of Tuesday, June 13 on the west side of Cincinnati, including two minors, furthering the recent trend of younger shooting victims in the city.

A 36-year-old man was shot on Gracely Drive in Sayler Park around 7:20 p.m. on June 13, Lt. Jonathan Cunningham of the Cincinnati Police Department confirmed to CityBeat. He said the victim’s injuries were non-life-threatening, but a shooting that took place hours later has threatened the life of a much younger victim.

Cunningham confirmed that three people were shot later that same night in South Fairmount on Westwood Avenue, around 11 p.m. Investigators suspect it was a drive-by shooting. Cunningham said two of the victims were 15-year-old males and one was an 18-year-old female. Of the three people who were shot, two sustained non-life-threatening injuries, but a third is listed as “serious.”

Just less than one hour later, CPD said three more people were shot in Cincinnati’s Westwood neighborhood on Harrison Avenue. Two 22-year-old females were shot and one 21-year-old male. Police listed the victims as sustaining non-life-threatening injuries and noted that a fourth person, a 19-year-old female, was grazed by a bullet.

All three investigations into the shootings are ongoing, but CPD doesn’t believe they are related at this time.

Despite the recent rash of shootings, the overall frequency is actually trending slightly downward compared to recent years. This time last year there were 145 reported shootings compared to the 140 so far in 2023, according to CincyInsights. But the age of the victims is skewing dramatically younger.

“We don’t have a magic recipe for this, all we can do is keep giving our 110%,” Cunningham said.