CINCINNATI (NewsNation) — Nine people were injured after a suspect fired roughly 15-20 rounds into a crowd outside a downtown Cincinnati bar early Sunday morning, the Cincinnati Police Department said.
The shooting took place shortly after 1:30 a.m. outside Mr. Pitiful’s bar in the Ohio city’s Over-the-Rhine district on Main Street, a popular nightlife area.
Most of the victims suffered wounds to their lower halves, Lt. Col. Mike John of the Cincinnati police told news outlets. None of the victims are in critical condition, according to CPD.
The victims included eight men and one woman with the age range from 23-47. All nine people were treated at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and had been released, hospital spokesperson Heather Chura told The (Cincinnati) Enquirer.
Police stated that the preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect was actively firing a gun when an officer shot at them. It was unclear if the suspect was actually shot. More shots were fired after that person fled, so police believe at least two people were shooting, John said.
The suspect was not in custody as of Sunday afternoon when CPD provided an update, stating there are at least two suspects who opened fire and that the shooting stemmed from a verbal argument.
“It is a little unusual when we do not know for certainty whether the individual the officer fired on was struck or not,” John said.
John said police used what he called two “bang balls” — a “percussion instrument” with a “very loud noise” — to disperse a crowd they said had gathered around officers trying to provide aid to the wounded.
Another shooting in the neighboring Central Business District left two wounded, but police said it wasn’t related.
Mayor Aftab Pureval called the gunfire “completely and totally unacceptable.”
“The use of guns to solve disputes cannot become a normal part of our culture,” Pureval said, lauding officers for a quick response that “likely saved many more from injury and prevented the loss of life.”
An investigation is currently ongoing.
The Associated Press and NewsNation affiliate WCMH contributed to this report.