COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A shooting near Northwest High School that left one man dead erupted from two students arguing over a girl, Prosecutor Joe Deters said.
Det. Mike Stockmeier said two Northwest students, who had been in an ongoing conflict, decided to fight after school Thursday afternoon. Before they were to fight, one student called 18-year-old Brian Holmes, Jr., for help, the detective said.
“One of those two students, who is a juvenile co-defendant in this case, contacted this defendant (Holmes) and asked him to be present for the fight also,” Stockmeier said at Holmes' arraignment Friday morning.
Holmes brought a gun and shot two people in the other group before the fight started, Stockmeier said. The shooting happened about 2 p.m. on a neighborhood street one block from the high school. Prosecutors are reviewing multiple witness accounts.
Brian Holmes, Jr. arraigned in court this morning after deadly shooting yesterday left Northwest High School closed today. He cried as his mentor told him he’s not alone in this. We learned the details detectives have in court & I will have answers at 4:00 on @WCPO pic.twitter.com/HliRDv5cYa
— Courtney Francisco (@CFranciscoWCPO) November 22, 2019
The two victims, 25-year-old Rashad Shahid and an unnamed 17-year-old male, drove away after the shooting and were located a few miles away on Waycross Road in Springfield Township. Shahid, a Northwest grad, was pronounced dead. The other victim, who was shot in the arm, was transported to University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Holmes Jr. and a 17-year-old Northwest student are charged with murder. Holmes also faces a felonious assault charge and is being held on a $1.5 million bond.
Deters will decide whether the student involved will be charged as an adult, Colerain Township Police Department spokesman Jim Love said.
Holmes cried as the charges were read and again as he left the courtroom. His attorney said Holmes is homeless, and Holmes' mentor, Keith Love, vouched for him in an attempt to persuade the judge to lower his bond.
Love offered encouragement to Holmes. "Brian, keep your head up. I'm here for you. You ain't by yourself," he said.
But the prosecutor cast Holmes in a different light during the court hearing.
Prosecutor: "The defendant has to be have special security measures each and every time he's brought to court because he’s such a difficult person to deal with. The detective shared with me during the course of this investigation the defendant was laughing Is that accurate?"
Detective: "That’s correct, sir."
Shahid's family asked for privacy.
Colerain Police's Jim Love said it’s not clear whether the person wounded in the shooting is a Northwest student. Police initially said the victims had no connection to the high school.
WCPO has reached out to the Northwest Local School District for comment. The district canceled classes and all activities at the high school Friday and offered grief counselors to students.
