A man was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries after being shot in downtown Cincinnati on the 400 block of East Pete Rose Way, and police say the violence erupted from an argument between a taxi driver and his passenger over the cost of a ride to Kentucky. A suspect is in custody, though police have not released that person's name.
Cincinnati police Captain David Schofield said the shooting stemmed from an argument between a private taxi driver and a passenger over a fare to Kentucky, according to FOX19. Schofield alleged that the driver shot the passenger moments after the dispute broke out. The outlet reported the shooting occurred around 7:30 p.m. near the intersection of East Pete Rose Way and Broadway Street, while Local 12 put the time at about 7:20 p.m. near the same intersection. WLWT reported the shooting happened around 7 p.m. in that same stretch of downtown.
Cincinnati police spokesperson Brad Underwood said the injured man was transported to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries after being shot, per FOX19's reporting. Underwood confirmed a suspect was taken into custody following the shooting. A third person was also in the vehicle at the time, and no other injuries have been reported, the station's report notes.
What Police Still Haven't Said
As of Tuesday night, police had not released the name of the person taken into custody, and investigators had not formally established what led to the shooting beyond the fare dispute described by Captain Schofield. WLWT's reporting on the incident likewise notes that key details, including the suspect's identity, remain undisclosed.
A String of Recent Downtown Shootings
The Pete Rose Way shooting adds to a run of gun violence in Cincinnati's core this year. A woman was shot in downtown Cincinnati on a Saturday night near Main and Court streets, with police receiving reports of that shooting at approximately 8:30 p.m. and saying the victim suffered life-threatening injuries, according to WCPO. At the time, there was no suspect information available, the station reported.
Separately, a shooting at Fountain Square the previous Friday night left 25-year-old Darius Wheeler dead, according to Local 12's reporting on the city's response. That case has prompted city officials to weigh expanded police presence in the area, with one official saying the department is making, at least in the short term, a significant push to try to get round-the-clock coverage of Fountain Square. Officers have also told residents that crime downtown is down about 18% to 19% over the last year, per the same Local 12 account.
No further updates on the condition of the man injured on East Pete Rose Way, or on potential charges against the person in custody, had been released as of Tuesday night.
