CINCINNATI — A man accused of firing the shots that wounded two people at a peewee football game being held at Walnut Hills High School has been arrested and now faces multiple charges.
According to court documents, 29-year-old Lamont Ragan has been arrested and charged with two counts of felonious assault and a count of discharging a firearm on or near a prohibited premises.
Court documents say Ragan produced a gun during an altercation Sunday evening; police noted in court documents that witnesses told officers Ragan was the one who fired the shots.
In court Tuesday, Ragan's attorney claimed the shots were fired in self-defense after parents from the opposing team charged the field after the game was over. Ragan is the coach of one of the teams that played, the West End Royals, the attorney said.
"Mr. Ragan went out to protect his children," said Ragan's defense attorney. "A fight ensued, it got out of control from there. Mr. Ragan did discharge his firearm in self-defense and in defense of the children on the field."
Reverend Peterson Mingo, a community activist who serves as a spiritual adviser for the other team, the Evanston Bulldogs, was also present in court. Judge Tyrone Yates allowed him to speak during the hearing.
"Everything that Mr. Ragan has said, or his attorney has said doesn't hold water," said Mingo. "Who would bring a gun to a youth event for peewee football? There were almost 200 kids still there at the time when the shots went off. Most of those kids were extremely traumatized."
While Ragan's defense attorney told the judge Ragan turned himself and the gun he used that day in to police, Mingo argued that Ragan hopped a fence and ran away the day of the shooting.
Ultimately, Yates ordered Ragan be held on a $100,000 straight bond for each felonious assault charge he faces and $1,000 for the third charge.
The day the shooting happened, Cincinnati police responded to Walnut Hills High School Sunday evening following reports of shots fired during a peewee football game.
According to police on the scene, two adult men got into an argument after the children's football game had ended around 7:20 p.m. Police said two men began to fight before one man pulled out a gun and started shooting.
Attorneys said in court that one victim, who police said suffered a non-life-threatening injury, has been released from the hospital; prosecutors said the second victim was shot in the neck, chest and stomach and their current condition is unknown.
No children were hurt in the shooting, police said.
The Cincinnati United Youth Football and Cheer League issued a statement Monday, saying the shooting did not reflect the values or practices of the league or its partner organizations.
"After thorough deliberation, we've taken the firm decision to revoke the membership of the organization at the heart of this unfortunate event," reads the statement from CUYFCL. "We're actively collaborating with community stakeholders to provide trauma-informed care for children and families who witnessed the on-field altercation. Further, we're revising our policies to better prevent future incidents of such a nature."
According to the league's playoff schedule, the game that had ended right before the shooting happened was between the Evanston Bulldogs and the West End Elite Royals.
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