All categories of violent crime in Cincinnati are down compared to last year, according to new data from the Cincinnati Police Department.
So far this year, 66 people have been killed, compared to 75 at this time last year. Colonel Michael John says most homicides in the city this year are in the category of pre-planned target specific.
"That means the only thing going on at that particular time was somebody had the intent to take somebody else's life," John said. "There was nothing else going on. So those are very, very difficult for the police to interrupt, for the community to interrupt."
Circumstances of homicide (several incidents covered multiple categories):
- Pre-planned target specific: 18
- Domestic: 14
- Intimate partner violence: 5
- Retaliation: 11
- Running dispute: 11
- Sudden dispute: 9
- Unintended victim: 8
- Drug related: 7
- Killed in self defense: 6
- Robbery: 5
- Undetermined: 5
"Often we hear the rhetoric that drugs fuel homicides," John said. "We do not see that in the statistics in the city of Cincinnati."
Homicides are down about 13% compared to last year's record number. John says the decrease is especially significant compared to a 20% jump in homicides nationwide.
Rape and aggravated assault in Cincinnati had very slight decreases. Robberies are down about 25%, compared to a nationwide 7% decrease.
Shootings are down about 22% compared to last year, when Police Chief Eliot Isaac says the city saw the most shootings in at least a decade.
"2020 will always have an asterisk, for not just us but for many cities," Isaac said. "I think in 2021 we are strongly moving back to achieve what we were accomplishing in '18 and '19."
Colonel John says eight of the top 10 neighborhoods with the most shootings have decreased or remained steady.
"A slight increase in Over-the-Rhine, a somewhat significant increase in Walnut Hills, but substantial decreases in Avondale and the West End over last year," Colonel John said.
The number of juvenile gunshot victims this year — 38 — is the highest since 2009. Juveniles are 13% of shooting victims in 2021, compared to 8% of victims this time last year.
Juvenile shootings are up 21% compared to last year, and up 29% compared to the average for the last three years.
Isaac says police have seized nearly 1,300 illegal guns so far this year. The department's new gun crime intelligence unit is set to open within a few weeks.
The vast majority of the 65 homicides as of Sept. 27 have involved a firearm:
- Firearm: 57
- Fire: 2
- Edged weapon: 2
- Blunt force: 3
- Other: 1
Chief Isaac says the city's 66 murder victims are important as individuals, not just as statistics. He shared the name and photo of each victim.
- Kevin Suttles, 38
- Dontez Hollis, 25
- Jeremiah Campbell, 19
- Terrence North, 19
- Devon Proctor, 19
- Deontray Otis, 27
- Donnell Steele, 30
- Andrew Wesley, 35
- Timothy Dugar, 33
- Brittany Wagner, 28
- Kyree Sanders, 23
- Phillip Lanton, 28
- Edward Jones, 56
- Jason Herring, 22
- Ellonzo Martin, 29
- Bartholomew Sherrill, 51
- Ethaniel Holmes, 20
- Amari Campbell, 3
- Nyaira Givens, 13
- Deborah Evans, 39
- Douglas Robinson, 61
- Quentin Jolly, 33
- Deangelo Amison, 21
- Zaila Lee, 2
- Donta Martin, 36
- Shantee Humphrey, 46
- Daniel Johnson, 40
- Keith Hoersting, 34
- Terrance Owensby, 41
- Donovan Clark, 38
- Jordan Brown, 28
- Randy Billings, 49
- Robbie Smyth Jr, 31
- Christopher Beverly, 30
- John Barron, 53
- Evelyn Craft, 2 months
- Ladarius Evans, 16
- Courtney Evans, 41
- Dominique Pankey, 28
- Thomas Simms II, 29
- Christopher Walters, 6 months
- Galevon Beauchamp, 16
- Luke Macke, 23
- Kylton Clide, 24
- Milo Watson, 16
- Dexter Wright, 19
- Sean Johnson, 34
- Key'olvonte Heidelburg, 21
- James Walker Jr, 19
- Michelle McDonald, 31
- Aaliyah McCoy, 1 day
- Michael Burroughs, 33
- Jerome Williams, 39
- Kyran Reese, 19
- Kris McQueen, 39
- Gabriel Ventura, 20
- Cornell Neal, 24
- Ryan Casey, 27
- Cornelius Foster, 16
- Cierra Allen, 30
- Melvin Stanford, 57
- Jisaiah Jordan, 24
- Demarain Edwards, 20
- Tyler McIntosh, 20
- Brandi Turner, 35
- Avante Beatty, 18
