CINCINNATI — At least nine people were injured after a shooting in an area of Cincinnati, Ohio known as Over-the-Rhine early on Sunday morning, police said.
According to police, at approximately 1:39 a.m. local time, officers responded to disperse a large disorderly crowd.
Two groups broke out into a physical altercation. Police said at least two individuals involved in the altercation pulled out firearms and exchanged gunfire.
Two officers assigned to the Civil Disturbance Response Team (CDRT) saw an individual shooting south of that intersection on Main Street. Cincinnati Police (CPD) said one of those CDRT officer's discharged one round from their gun at that individual.
"We have one Cincinnati police officer that discharged one round, and we do not know if that officer struck the individual that he was firing the gun at," John said. "What I can tell you is the individual he was shooting at was actively firing a firearm at that time."
CPD said the individual fled east toward Sycamore Street.
John said CPD deployed two "bang balls" — a percussion instrument used by police — that were rolled into the street to disperse the large crowd and attend to the injured. He said officers then applied tourniquets at the scene.
The injured were either transported to UC Medical Center by the Cincinnati Fire Department or self-transported to the hospital where they were all treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Watch CPD Assistant Chief Michael John's full statement on the shooting in OTR:
Police had Main Street shut down at multiple different cross streets for multiple hours. All roads have since reopened.
Alongside the OTR shooting, John said there was also another shooting incident in the Central Business District where two people were shot. John could not confirm if the two incidents were connected or the conditions of those shot there.
"Today's events are completely and totally unacceptable," said Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval. "The use of guns to solve disputes cannot become a normal part of our culture. I want to express the City's gratitude to the officers on the scene. Their quick response likely saved many more from injury and prevented loss of life."
Police continued investigating the shooting and said the investigation's still in preliminary stages.
"We know that a lot of people left the scene that may have seen something," John said. "We're looking for any witness statements we can get. So, if somebody has something — if they have video footage, something on their phone — of course we would want to use that to see if we can ascertain exactly how this event evolved."
CPD is asking anyone that may have witnessed this incident or has additional information to contact the CPD Criminal Investigations Section at 513-352-3542.
This story was originally published by WCPO in Cincinnati, Ohio.
