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Police make arrest in slaying of Northside man

Northside shooting
Posted at 6:22 PM, Nov 17, 2021
and last updated 2021-11-18 11:27:56-05

CINCINNATI — On Wednesday, Cincinnati Police announced they had arrested and charged 34-year-old Arthur Smith with murder in the death of Antwan Morris in Northside.

Morris was shot in the 1700 block of Casey Drive on Nov. 7 and was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he died from his injuries three days later on Nov. 10.

Just days after Morris' death, his family said they knew who killed him, because he was someone the family grew up with. They said he'd called several of Morris' relatives in the days after the shooting.

"You keep calling us saying you turning yourself in and you're not," Kelly Morris said on Nov. 11.

Cincinnati police did not confirm details of the shooting. Morris' family members said he was called over to an apartment that day, paid through Cash App to replace locks on someone's doors.

Antwan Morris

"She was in such urgent and dire need to have these locks changed," Tracey Morris said. "He said he could do it real quick and get back and watch the [Bengals] game."

Morris ran his own handyman business called Hangman King. Often, though, his family said he would surprise loved ones with freebies when he knew it would make them smile.

"Any one of them could sit there and tell you that they call Uncle 'Twan, he's coming," Kelly Morris said. "He didn't care what time of day."

Morris left behind three children. His family said it's because of his love for his children that the family knew something was wrong when he failed to call to check on them for three hours.

"I started going crazy, like, [his] phone [went] to voicemail," Kelly Morris said. "What's going on?"

Morris' family searched for him until they heard bad news. Witnesses said a man pulled up, confronted and shot Antwan in the stomach.