Cincinnati Shooting at Riverfront Live leaves nine injured, officials and families describe chaos
The cincinnati shooting unfolded shortly before 1 a. m. at Riverfront Live on Kellogg Avenue, sending hundreds of people fleeing and leaving nine people wounded. The incident has prompted a multiagency investigation and sharp reactions from victims' relatives and city leaders as hospitals treated the injured.
Cincinnati Shooting at 4343 Kellogg Ave. and the East End venue
The shooting occurred shortly before 1 a. m. at 4343 Kellogg Ave., the location named as Riverfront Live, a 16-and-over music venue in the East End. Cincinnati police Interim Chief Adam Hennie said dispatch received a 911 call around 1 a. m. for multiple shots fired inside the venue, which he said was hosting several hundred people; Hennie put the crowd at about 500–600 individuals at the scene. Detail officers were also outside the venue when the shots rang out.
Officers confirmed the incident is isolated and said there is no ongoing threat to the public. Police said the investigation was still ongoing around 3: 30 a. m., and they have not released a suspect description or identified any suspects.
Hospitals and differing medical reports for the nine victims
UC Medical Center staff took eight people from the scene and Good Samaritan Hospital received one person. UC spokesperson Heather Chura Smith said eight people were taken to UC Medical Center; she described one person as in critical condition, five as stable and two as treated and released. A hospital spokesperson said the person taken to Good Samaritan Hospital has since been released.
At a later briefing, Chief Hennie said nine people were shot, transported to either UC Medical Center or Good Samaritan Hospital, and that all nine victims were in stable condition. Hennie did not provide details on what led up to the shooting, how many guns were fired or what types of guns were used.
Security footage and neighbor accounts capture the panic
Security cameras at a nearby business show a crowd running out of the venue after the first shots were fired inside, and Fiberglass Custom Repair Center owner Gage Skillman said his building's cameras captured eventgoers fleeing as well as the sounds of screams and gunfire. Skillman, who said he was shutting down his boat repair shop next to Riverfront Live at the time, described hearing people screaming and cars racing to leave the parking lot; he said reviewing the footage was difficult to listen to.
Families describe narrow escapes and criticize venue security
Relatives of victims spoke of chaos and questions about how people and weapons entered the party. Antoinette Coates said her 35-year-old son was shot four times and is expected to be okay. Coates criticized event security, saying patrons were being allowed inside without proper searches and that guns were being brought into the venue.
Angel Potts, mother of a 25-year-old victim, described her daughter leaving a bathroom when she and others heard gunshots; Potts said some people dropped down, some ran, and her daughter ran toward the door, jumped a fence and crossed to a United Dairy Farmer. Potts said her daughter had been patted down at the door and believed that would keep her safe; she also noted the venue charged $50 or $60 for entry. Potts described her daughter's condition following the incident; specifics were unclear in the provided context.
