An East Price Hill gas explosion that ripped apart a four-family building and rattled the 700 block of Elberon Avenue has now landed the man behind it in state prison. Today, A Hamilton County judge sentenced 65-year-old Shawn Kidder to six to nine years after he admitted to intentionally causing the March 9, 2025, gas-fed blast that destroyed his apartment building, sent four people to the hospital, and left six residents without homes. The structure was so badly damaged it was later demolished. Prosecutors say Kidder loosened the natural gas line to his stove and then ignited the gas while neighbors were still inside.
Plea and sentence
Kidder pleaded guilty last month in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court to two counts of aggravated arson, and today the judge signed off on an agreed six-to-nine-year prison term. As reported by WKRC, prosecutors laid out the scale of the damage and injuries before the sentence was imposed, pointing to Fire Investigation Unit work and court evidence that they say tied Kidder to the intentional blast.
What investigators say
Fire investigators and court filings state that Kidder loosened the natural gas line to his kitchen stove, allowing a large amount of gas to build up in the building before igniting it, authorities told FOX19. Court documents and prosecutor statements also say Kidder had been served an eviction notice just days before the blast, a detail reported by WLWT. Investigators say Kidder told detectives he acted intentionally even though he knew other residents were inside the building.
Damage and community response
The blast blew away the right side of the Elberon Avenue building, damaged a nearby vacant structure and caused about $300,000 in estimated losses, according to officials. Neighbors quickly rallied, and community fundraisers have collected thousands of dollars to help the displaced households. The building, declared unstable, was later demolished, as detailed by WCPO. For more on the March 2025 blast and how the block reacted in the immediate aftermath, see explosion rocks East Price Hill.
What comes next
With the sentence in place, the criminal case is essentially wrapped up unless the defense or prosecutors file an appeal or other post-conviction motions. Court records show Kidder appeared in a wheelchair at the June hearing and is being held in the Hamilton County Justice Center's medical unit, as reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer. Officials say the case is a stark reminder of how tampering with gas lines can move from reckless to catastrophic in a matter of seconds, with real people paying the price.
