CINCINNATI — A shooting that left two children in critical condition Saturday kept Westwood ranked among the city's top neighborhoods for the most shootings in Cincinnati over the last year.
The shooting happened Saturday, June 12, around 6:15 pm, police said, near a convenience store at the corner of Cavanaugh and McHenry avenues.
The youngest victims were 6 and 8 years old. The other two victims were adults in their late teens, according to Cincinnati police.
"I'm praying for a miracle is what I’m doing,” said Marcella Thompson, whose 8-year-old son went into surgery Saturday night. “My baby did not deserve this at all. I was at home preparing for a movie night.”
Thompson said she let her son Marcellus walk up the street to Reems Market with his big brother before family night when the shooting happened. She said two bullets hit her little boy.
"It went through his brain. It came out the other side of his brain. My baby suffered from a gunshot wound to his leg,” said Thompson.
She wanted people to know the reality of this crime, in part, because of the number of shootings happening in her neighborhood.
Police records show there have been 18 shootings in Westwood in 2021. Cincy Insight records do not include Saturday's shooting. Over-the-Rhine has had the second most shootings, according to the website, with 17. West End ranks third with 13 shootings so far in 2021.
There have been 170 shootings in the entire city in 2021, according to Cincy Insights. Twenty-eight have been fatal, with 142 non-fatal.
Last year, Westwood had the fifth most shootings in the city with 28.
Records show in 2020, West End had the most shootings with 49. Over-The-Rhine had the second most shootings with 45. Avondale ranked third with 36 shootings, and Winton Hills had the fourth most shootings with 33.
“If your child is showing signs of gangs or showing they have guns, if you have a glimpse of a gun, ignoring things makes it worse. We need to step up at home,” said Rodney Christian.
Christian is president of the East Westood Community Council. He is teaming up with anti-violence groups to go door to door this week to talk about reporting suspicious activity. He says he will also be informing neighbors about breakfast meetings to discuss jobs and community groups for children.
To see a previous report discussing community efforts, click here.
"We have to have resources at every corner, and we are working on a resource facility in East Westwood with all these activities,” said Christian. “They can come to where they talk to people that they trust."
In Saturday’s case, witnesses said they turned over video to police and officers say they have a possible shooter in mind.
