BLUE ASH, Ohio -- Police arrested a man accused in Tuesday's shooting at a Blue Ash restaurant after he flew to Los Angeles Wednesday.
Trey Gentry, 19, of Sycamore Township, has been accused of shooting 25-year-old Joshua Abbot inside the Blue Ash Smashburger restaurant Tuesday afternoon. Authorities took him into custody immediately after landing at Los Angeles International Airport at about 12:30 p.m. EST Wednesday. He was being held there pending extradition back to Hamilton County, where police said he would face attempted murder charges.
The shooting occurred at about 2:20 p.m. Tuesday inside the Cornell Road restaurant, according to Sgt. Allison Schlie. A court affidavit states Gentry “was invited into the back area of the business and became involved in a physical altercation with the victim,” who is the restaurant's general manager.
The document says Gentry was observed on security video shooting Abbott “several times,” striking his femoral artery. It also says Abbott identified Gentry in a photo lineup.
When police arrived, they found Abbott suffering from gunshot wounds. He was hospitalized in critical but stable condition.
Employee at #BlueAsh Smash Burger tells me shooting victim, Josh Abbott, is restaurant general manager @WCPO
— John Genovese (@JEGenovese) January 10, 2017
The suspect drove away. He was described as a 5-foot-10-inch African-American man wearing brown Timberland-style boots and a black skull cap and had a goatee with full mustache, Schlie said.
The restaurant remained closed for the rest of the day, police said.
Police asked anyone with information to call Blue Ash police at 513-745-8555, Crimestoppers at 513-352-3040 or the sheriff's office at 513-851-6000.
