CINCINNATI — The suspect in last Monday night's shooting at Fountain Square has turned himself in. WCPO 9 News anchor Bret Buganski confirmed Sunday night, with the suspect's attorney Clyde Bennett, that 24-year-old Shaquille Ferguson is in the Hamilton County Jail after he surrendered to Cincinnati Police Sunday night around 6:30 p.m. Bennett claims his client acted in self-defense.
"Shaquille and his family were made aware that there was a warrant for his arrest, he knew he was involved in the incident," Bennett said over the phone.
Ferguson was wanted for two counts of felonious assault and having weapons under disability in connection to last Monday's shooting that left a 16-year-old boy and 19-year-old man injured at Fountain Square. On Tuesday Cincinnati Police released surveillance video showing two people walking away from City Bird Monday night. The person with his face blurred turns around first and points. Then the man in the white shirt, believed to be Ferguson, turns around, pulls out a gun and starts shooting. CPD Police Chief Teresa Theetge said the fight between the groups started in Clifton and ended at Fountain Square.
Hear from Attorney Clyde Bennett about what he says led to the Fountain Square shooting:
"They're inside City Bird, two different groups, allegation of one male inappropriately touching or saying something to a female in the other group, somebody standing up for her, verbal altercations occur, they're going to take it outside," Theetge said.
We asked Bennett how his client described what happened.
"I can tell you that Mr. Ferguson did not initiate the conduct that gave rise to the shooting," Bennett said.
We asked him why the fight continues from Clifton to downtown.
"Mr. Ferguson was at City Bird when he was exiting or leaving City Bird, it was brought to his attention that more than one individual behind him, one of those individuals had a gun, that individual was pointing a gun at him," Bennett said.
"Mr. Ferguson fired two shots in self-defense," Bennett said.
During Tuesday's press conference, Theetge said during the course of their investigation on Monday night, CPD arrested two other people. One is a juvenile who was allegedly seen discarding a gun in a flower box outside of City Bird. Officers arrested another person, who Theetge said, had a warrant and allegedly tried running away from officers.
