One person was hospitalized after a shooting broke out in Mt. Auburn early Sunday morning, and police still have not identified a suspect. Officers found a gunshot victim along with six shell casings scattered at the scene, but key details about what happened and who was hurt remain murky across conflicting reports.
ShotSpotter Alert Leads Police To The Scene
According to FOX19, Cincinnati police responded to a ShotSpotter call around 4 a.m. near Helen Street and Highland Avenue, off Reading Road. When officers arrived, they found one victim suffering from a gunshot wound, along with six shell casings at the scene. Two other people who checked themselves into the hospital could also be connected to the shooting, police told the station.
The condition of the victim was unknown at the time of the station's report, and police said they did not have a suspect at that point. Anyone with information has been asked to call 513-569-8600.
Other Outlets Describe A Different Time And Location
Not every account lines up. Local 12 reported that the shooting happened around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday on McGregor Avenue near Auburn Avenue — a different time and cross streets than those cited in the FOX19 account. That station also reported that Christopher Metz, 37, was transported to University Hospital and later died from his injuries, a detail not reflected in the other reports reviewed.
WLWT, meanwhile, reported that the victim had non-life-threatening injuries, and that suspect information had not been released at the time of its publication. Hoodline could not independently reconcile these differing accounts of timing, location, or the victim's ultimate condition, and is presenting each version as reported.
Part Of A Broader Citywide Pattern
The shooting comes as Cincinnati has otherwise seen gun violence trend downward. Citywide, the city recorded 241 shootings in 2025, down from 313 in 2023, according to FOX19's review of crime data. Over-the-Rhine logged the highest number of shooting incidents over that three-year span with 88 total cases, followed by the West End with 78 and Avondale with 74, the outlet reported.
Fatal shootings in Cincinnati, however, ticked up slightly, with 67 gun-violence deaths recorded in 2025 compared with 66 in 2024, per the same report. The number of minors shot dipped only marginally, from 42 in 2024 to 41 in 2025. City data tracked through the Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence describes a multi-agency effort aimed at curbing violent crime while strengthening ties between communities and law enforcement.
Mt. Auburn has seen gun violence before; WLWT previously reported that one person died in a shooting at Jackson Hill Park in the neighborhood. As of Sunday's report, no suspect has been identified in this latest shooting, and investigators are still asking anyone with information to come forward.
