CINCINNATI -- A 16-year-old boy was shot in the leg on Government Square in downtown Cincinnati, according to a Cincinnati Police Department spokesperson.
The teen was shot at the intersection of East 5th and Main streets at about 9:00 a.m. Friday. The victim was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Authorities said the suspect is known to the victim and is believed to be a juvenile.
Lt. Steve Saunders said he encourages the suspect to come forward.
"Cameras might confirm for us that this person was here at that time and place when this event occurred, but I don’t think it’s going to be a difficult crime for our investigators to follow up on," Saunders said.
A single round was fired. According to police, the shooting was the result of a verbal altercation between the suspect and the victim.
The investigation shut down several bus stops during the morning commute. Government Square traffic returned to normal by about 10:30 a.m.
Government Square traffic returning to normal. pic.twitter.com/jnxwyMrfYu
— Cincinnati Police Department (@CincyPD) October 19, 2018
This incident follows the deadly shooting at the Fifth Third Bank headquarters Downtown last month. Three victims were killed, and two others were injured.
Still, Saunders said shootings in downtown Cincinnati are "extremely rare."
"Everybody’s familiar with what happened back on Sept. 6 in the Downtown area near the Fifth Third Center," he said. "This is only the fourth person, including that event where we had three people killed and also the individuals who were shot that day, the fourth person who was shot in the Downtown area."
Saunders is asking adults to talk to teens who may use gun violence to solve disputes. He credits the community for helping to reduce the number of shootings in Cincinnati.
"We’re about 25 percent down for the last three years in shootings. That’s tremendous as far as a reduction," Saunders said. "It’s not just what the police department is doing, it’s what other parties, what other stakeholders are doing throughout the city to see that happen."
Anyone with information about the suspect in Friday's shooting should call Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040.
