6 killings in 7 days: Cincinnati's deadliest week in three years

Six people were fatally shot in Cincinnati from May 29 to June 4 making it the deadliest seven-day period the city has seen since 2015, according to police data.

An uptick in violence in Over-the-Rhine, in particular, has police stepping up patrols in the neighborhood.

Four slayings have occurred in Over-the-Rhine in eight days: the deadliest eight-day period for the neighborhood in at least 10 years. And another man was killed there Jan. 11.

Over-the-Rhine only saw a total of six fatal shootings in all of 2017, the year before that only three.

This apparent spike in killings comes as Cincinnati is seeing a nearly 30 percent reduction in shootings.

The last time Cincinnati saw this many killings in such a short period was in late May and early June of 2015 when seven people were killed in seven days. That year ended with 73 homicides.

Lt. Col. Paul Neudigate told the press Monday the shootings are not random incidents. In the instance of a Monday homicide, he said the victim and suspect knew each other.

"Many of the individuals involved with this are engaging in risky behavior," Neudigate said. "This is an anomaly for OTR. I go down to Over-the-Rhine on my own time and frequent those establishments. I do not feel unsafe because I’m not engaged in risky behavior.”

District 1 Commander Capt. Lisa Davis said Monday afternoon officers will be stationed at Liberty and Walnut street for the next 24 hours straight. She said other units will be highly visible and patrolling on foot and bikes. District 1 officers will also meet with the public from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday at Grant Park, 73 E. McMicken Ave.

"We know that northern section of Over-the-Rhine has challenges," Davis said. "We care about this community. We do take it personally.”

Of the five Over-the-Rhine homicides this year, only one happened south of Liberty Street.

"Over-the-Rhine is safe," Neudigate said. “(Shootings) used to happen on a daily basis in OTR when we were young cops.”

The victims

► May 29: Marcel Huffaker, 52, was shot in the chest in the 900 block of Chateau Avenue in East Price Hill at approximately 10:30 p.m., police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

► May 30: James Able, 57, was found shot in the street near the intersection of Green and Race streets in Over-the-Rhine at approximately 9:30 p.m., police said. He was taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center where he died from his wounds.

► June 1: Thomas Maul Jr., 21, was shot in the 200 block of E. Clifton Avenue in Over-the-Rhine at approximately 9:30 p.m., police said. He died at the scene.

► June 3: Sherrard Dunlap, 36, was shot near the intersection of 15th and Moore streets in Over-the-Rhine, police said. He died from his injuries at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

► June 4: Demetrius Bazel, 39, was found shot in the torso inside an apartment in the 300 block of Forest Avenue in Avondale at approximately 1:30 a.m., police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

► June 4: Diamond Green, 21, was found shot on the sidewalk in the 1600 block of Walnut Street in Over-the-Rhine at approximately 6:30 a.m., police said. She died at the scene. Two men have been charged in Green's death included her uncle, who prosecutors said pushed Green into the line of fire.

Over-the-Rhine

Along with the five homicides in Over-the-Rhine this year, the neighborhood has seen seven non-fatal shootings since the beginning of May.

In the first four months of the year, Over-the-Rhine had only one fatal shooting and one non-fatal shooting.

Lt. Steve Saunders said homicide investigators have not revealed whether they believe the recent shootings and killings are connected.

Shootings still lower than 2017

Despite this recent cluster of killings, statistics for the year show shootings and homicides are down.

In 2017, there were 145 non-fatal shootings and 31 homicides in Cincinnati between Jan. 1 and June 3. This year, there have been 103 non-fatal shootings and 30 homicides.

During the first four months of the year, shootings were down 46 percent across the city. On June 3, that decrease had dropped to 29 percent.

Of the 30 homicides in 2018, Cincinnati police have made arrests in 12 cases. Another case was closed due to the death of the offender; a murder-suicide in West Price Hill.