A 16-year-old boy, Rasheed Mills, was fatally shot in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, as reported last night. According to FOX19, the incident took place inside an apartment located at the intersection of 13th Street and Vine Street. Police discovered Mills with a gunshot wound to the chest, and he was promptly transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The shooting resulted in a state of distress in the community, with one witness taken to Cincinnati Children's Hospital suffering a panic attack. While the suspect remains at large, the Cincinnati Police Department has indicated that they could be between the ages of 18 and 25. Cincinnati Police Sgt. Phillip Buccino told FOX19, “No threat to the public; what I know is the suspect left the scene. Everyone should be okay in Over-the-Rhine at this time.” This shooting marks the third such incident in the neighborhood in just over a week, two of which were fatal.
Further details shared by WCPO describe Rasheed Mills as a Taft High School sophomore who worked for 3CDC at Washington Park and as a diabetes camp counselor. Remembered fondly by his father, Mills was known for loving to play video games, wrestle, and bring laughter to others.
As the Cincinnati Police Department urges anyone with information about the tragedy to come forward, the lack of concrete leads on a suspect or the motive behind the shooting has left the community searching for answers. After being shot, the victim, Mills, managed to exit the building before collapsing in a stairwell, according to an officer at the scene quoted by LOCAL12. As Over-the-Rhine confronts the anguish of yet another young life cut short, the loss of Rasheed Mills reverberates through his school, his workplace, and beyond.
The city of Cincinnati and the Over-the-Rhine community, in particular, find themselves once again amidst a somber investigation. Police continue to implore those with pertinent information to assist by calling the homicide unit at 513-352-3542. And for a family grieving the loss of a son, friend, and mentor, the search for justice for Rasheed Mills is undoubtedly of little comfort in the face of such an irreplaceable void.
