An East Price Hill resident has been arrested following a gas explosion at a multi-family residence that resulted in injuries to four people, including two children. According to WLWT, 64-year-old Shawn Kidder is facing five counts of aggravated arson to a person and one count of aggravated arson to a property, as stated by Cincinnati's Fire Chief Frank McKinley, who praised the Cincinnati Fire Department's Fire Investigation Unit (CFD FIU) by saying, "While fires like these are always a tragic loss, the CFD FIU continues to do an outstanding job bringing justice to those who negatively impact our community."
The incident occurred on the evening of March 9, with emergency services receiving multiple 911 calls around 8:15 p.m. reporting an explosion and a subsequent fire in the building where Kidder resided. This fire left one man lying in the front yard and two children amongst the casualties. As per public records, he had previously been served an eviction notice in February, but it was in the aftermath that investigators established that Kidder had allegedly tampered with the natural gas line to the kitchen, thus creating the conditions for the blaze and explosion. Per a statement obtained by The Enquirer, Kidder was accused of doing so with the knowledge that people were inside the home.
The building, which had to be demolished due to a lack of structural stability, housed six individuals before the incident, and the damage was estimated at around $300,000. In the wake of the devastating event, firefighters revealed that there were no smoke detectors inside the home. These details were highlighted in an update from FOX19, which also mentioned that Kidder remains hospitalized following the incident.
The explosion left the community shaken, which also affected a nearby vacant building. However, the immediate response by 44 firefighters to the scene ensured that the blaze was contained, as stated by the Cincinnati Fire Department in an earlier report. Two children sustained minor injuries while one adult was reported to have serious injuries, Cincinnati fire officials thus confirming the gravity of the situation and with the department's spokeswoman Lindsay Lomax Haegele revealing that Kidder "knowingly lit" the natural gas that led to the explosion and fire.
