CINCINNATI — Cincinnati police have arrested a 17-year-old boy and charged him with the murder of a 16-year-old fatally shot in September in Over-the-Rhine.
According to Cincinnati police, 16-year-old Thomas Bell was one of two people shot near the corner of East McMicken Avenue and Walnut Street around 5 p.m. on Sept. 16. He later died at the hospital.
The 17-year-old arrested Thursday has also been charged with felonious assault for allegedly shooting the second person, CPD said.
Bell was a student at Mount Auburn Preparatory Academy, a spokesperson with the school told us in September.
"This is a devastating reminder of the toll that violence involving young people takes on our communities," Courtney Harritt, a spokesperson for Mount Auburn Preparatory Academy, said in a statement. "We remain committed to the safety, care, and well-being of every student we serve."
Charles Williams, a teacher at nearby Wesley Chapel Mission Center, said the shots rang out on Tuesday shortly after classes let out.
"I heard nothing but kids crying and screaming," he said. "I (saw) a bunch of teenagers right there, just a big scene around a body on the ground ... they'll remember that for the rest of their lives."
Wesley Chapel Mission Center, considered a safe space for youth in the community, will host grief counseling this week. It includes teaching kids to self-regulate through breathing techniques and other exercises. Williams said on Wednesday that he hoped that affected teens would utilize the program in the wake of the tragedy.
"We've got to get these kids to learn how to come together," he said. "I want to encourage the adults not to lose hope that we're going to see that day for these kids and for us to continue to lead the charge for them to be that way."
