‘Sickening’ mass shooting of kids playing outside kills 1 and injures 5, Ohio cops say
An 11-year-old boy was killed in a mass shooting that left five others injured, including four children, Ohio police say.
The accused gunman from the Friday, Nov. 3, shooting on the West End of Cincinnati remained at large as of Sunday, Police Chief Terri Theetge said in a news briefing.
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said the community was “shaken to its core by a sickening, unacceptable tragedy.”
The shooter in a dark-colored sedan is accused of firing 22 shots “in quick succession” into a crowd of kids, according to the police chief. An 11-year-old boy, identified by ABC News as Dominic Davis, was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.
Three other boys — ages 12, 13 and 15 — were also shot, as well as a 15-year-old girl and 53-year-old woman, Theetge said. Of the surviving victims, one remained in the hospital as of Sunday and was in stable condition.
The area where the shooting took place is within walking distance of a playground, daycare and girls’ dance studio, USA Today reported.
“The parents and the kids themselves who we’ve talked to don’t feel safe, and frankly I can’t blame them,” Pureval said in the news briefing. “They were a group of kids playing outside of their house when a madman came by and fired 22 rounds into a group of kids.”
Police did not release any identifiable information about the suspect. It’s too soon to know if the shooting was random or targeted, Theetge said.
Two of the gunshot victims, including the 11-year-old who died, attended Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy, the police chief said. The other kids injured in the shooting attend public schools in the city.
“When will this stop? Will this ever stop?” Dominic’s father, Isaac Davis, said in the briefing. “How many people have to bury their kids, their babies, their loved ones?”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Cincinnati police at 513-352-3542.
Gun violence in the US
Thousands of people die every year from firearm injuries in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Firearm injuries are a serious public health problem,” officials said. “In 2020, there were 45,222 firearm-related deaths in the United States – that’s about 124 people dying from a firearm-related injury each day.”
Firearm-related injuries were one of the top leading causes of death for people ages 1 to 44 in 2020, the CDC reported.
“More than half of firearm-related deaths were suicides and more than 4 out of every 10 were firearm homicides,” the CDC says.
The impact of gun violence, however, goes beyond the death toll, experts said.
“The effects of firearm violence extend beyond victims and their families,” according to the CDC. “Shooting incidents, including those in homes, schools, houses of worship, workplaces, shopping areas, on the street or at community events can affect the sense of safety and security of entire communities and impact everyday decisions.”
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