NEW ORLEANS — A suspect has been arrested in connection with the death of a Cincinnati police officer's son in New Orleans, according to the New Orleans Police Department.
Police said 20-year-old Marcus McDaniel was taken into custody Friday morning after detectives identified him as the perpetrator in the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Nicholas Dent.
Officer Shawn Dent is a neighborhood liaison unit officer in Corryville, Clifton and Winton Terrace in District Four, according to the Cincinnati Police Department.
Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police President Ken Kober told WCPO that Nicholas Dent was driving a person home from work when he was shot and killed on May 2.
"On May 2, 2026, our lives were forever changed by the tragic and senseless loss of Nicholas Dent," a fundraiser for funeral and memorial expenses reads. "On what should have been a day of celebration — his 26th birthday — Nicholas was taken from us after finishing his work shift at a sports bar in New Orleans."
Nicholas Dent's stepmother, Kristina Dent, said her stepson had moved back to New Orleans to take care of his grandmother after years of growing up in Cincinnati and graduating from Winton Woods High School in 2018.
The family told us that Nicholas Dent was loved by many and he's being remembered as "the best brother, son and friend."
"No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one in this manner, and no one should have their life taken so violently and prematurely," the fundraiser reads. "As we mourn Nicholas, we also aim to honor his life, preserve his memory and support those he leaves behind."
McDaniel was taken to the Orleans Parish Justice Center and booked on the charge of second-degree murder, according to police.
