CINCINNATI — Two juveniles were hospitalized Sunday afternoon after they were shot during a fight in Avondale, the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD) said.
CPD Lt. Timothy Lanter said officers were dispatched to the 800 block of Lexington Avenue shortly before 2:30 p.m. for a shooting.
Lanter said that a fight broke out between neighbors, and during the fight, a gun was pulled out and a single shot was fired.
That single shot hit two juveniles, Lanter said. One juvenile was just grazed by the bullet, while the other was shot in the stomach. Both were transported to area hospitals, Lanter said.
Watch: How the community is reacting to the shooting that hospitalized two juveniles:
Lanter said CPD does not have any suspects in custody, but they do have persons of interest.
We spoke to Angel Nunn Monday, who lives near the location of Sunday's shooting. She said gun violence is something she regularly fears.
“If it’s not this street, it’s two other streets. It’s two other streets, two blocks, three blocks from here,” Nunn said.
According to data from the City of Cincinnati, as of Dec. 3rd, there had been 18 shootings in Avondale this year.
Sunday's shooting brings that total to 19, including seven in the last three months.
“It’s always a tragedy, it’s always a crisis, it’s always horrible when these things happen to anyone, more or less to a child,” said Mitch Morris, founder of Save Our Kings and Queens.
Morris works with youth in Avondale daily through his nonprofit. He told us his main focus is working to “stop the violence," and his number one message is kindness.
“Be kind to each other, there’s no need for all this evil hatred stuff that’s happening in our community,” Morris said.
He said that stopping the violence is a community effort.
“At some point, people in the community have to step up. We got some responsibility in this, right?” Morris said. “It might not be your loved one today, but it could be tomorrow.”
Nunn also told us she'd like to "see more unity" in the neighborhood.
This is an ongoing investigation, and anyone with information can contact CrimeStoppers at 513-352-3040.
