CINCINNATI — It was a violent night in Cincinnati, as officers responded to multiple neighborhoods for several shooting investigations.
Cincinnati Police Department Public Information Officer Lt. Jonathan Cunningham confirmed four separate shootings across Cincinnati overnight.
CPD confirmed one man was killed after a shooting in Walnut Hills, a 17-year-old was shot in Winton Hills, a 40-year-old woman was injured in Westwood, and two people were shot in a drive-by shooting in Over-the-Rhine.
I visited some of the areas where the shootings occurred, including Stark Street in OTR. There I met Kimberly Starbuck, who lives near where two people were shot.
"It was combative, it was loud, and there was yelling going on for quite a while before I heard any gunfire," Starbuck said.
Watch our coverage on the latest developments regarding Cincinnati's violence and community responses:
Police said a shot spotter was activated around 11:30 p.m. when a vehicle drove by a crowd of 20 to 30 people and fired 19 rounds. One man was shot in the head, another had wounds in his leg and arm.
Starbuck shared her fear and concern over gun violence across our area, not just in her neighborhood.
"The way people seem to be resolving problems with each other is by pulling firearms, and that is just really a social illness," Starbuck said.
Last week, Police Chief Teresa Theetge and other city officials announced their plans to push back against a recent increase in violent crime. Cunningham confirmed that CPD's new roving task force began its patrol on Monday. The task force's hours will be evaluated based on need to reduce street crime, according to CPD.
WCPO 9 dove into recent crime statistics, specifically in OTR. The data reports crime is up in 2025 compared to 2024 to date.
You can view CPD's data below:
As the summer months continue and more people find themselves out and about, I spoke with John Baker, one of the founders of Brothas Inc.
His 501c3 describes itself as an "organization with a vision of being credible messengers restoring peace, respect, and unity in underserved communities in Cincinnati," according to its website.
Struggles with gun violence are something that Baker knows all too well.
"I was a victim of it and I was fortunate to survive it," Baker said.
Brothas Inc. connects with local youth, teaching them life skills and providing educational resources to help keep them away from violence.
"A lot of kids with no hope, we've given them hope," Baker said.
Baker said that parents must be present and involved to ensure their kids can stay safe.
"If (you're) not putting that in your kids' heads, and you're not getting them where they need to go to get that job, then the guys on the corner gonna get a hold of them and they'll end up going down another road," Baker said.
Cunningham said the most important thing is to make sure firearms kept in vehicles are safely secured. And if you see something, say something. You can reach CPD by calling Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040 or calling 911 in an emergency.
