A gunman opened fire at a bank in downtown Cincinnati Thursday morning, killing three people and injuring several more before he was also fatally shot.
Police Chief Eliot Issac said the shooter unleashed a torrent of bullets in the loading dock of the Fifth Third Bank building in the city’s Fountain Square around 9 a.m. He then proceeded into the lobby of the office tower, where he died in a confrontation with police. No officers were injured in the gunfire exchange, Issac added.
It’s not clear whether the suspect, who has not been identified, was killed by the responding officers or if he took his own life. A weapon was recovered on the scene.
Mayor John Cranley said the gunman was “actively shooting innocent victims” and lamented how commonplace gun violence has become in America during a press conference following the violent attack.
“Horrific, grotesque and unacceptable,” he said. “I think there’s something sick at work here, and we as a country have got to deal with it.”
A witness told the Cincinnati Enquirer he heard as many as 15 gunshots during the morning incident. Leonard Cain said he was headed into the bank when someone alerted him to the shooting. He tried to do the same for another woman also about to enter the bank, but he was too late.
“She walked in the door and he shot her,” Cain said.
Police located several people injured along Walnut Street and the surrounding area, including one inside Graeter’s Ice Cream shop not far from where the shooting occurred. One person was also found dead on the scene.
A total of three men and one woman were transported to University of Cincinnati Medical Center, all of them suffering gunshot wounds. Hospital officials said two people died upon arrival while another is still in critical condition. A fourth victim was brought to the facility in serious condition and has since been upgraded to “fair condition.”
“Our physicians and staff are focused on caring for the patients and their families,” the medical center said in a statement. “We prepare for situations like these and hope they never happen. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and all involved.
Fifth Third, which operates 1,200 banking centers across several states, in a statement offered its “thoughts and prayers” for everyone “caught up in this terrible event.” The bank added that it was cooperating with law enforcement and is “grateful for the support and concerns from our neighbors throughout Cincinnati and the country.”
Cincinnati Police confirmed they were investigating an “active shooter/officer involved incident” at the 30-story building on Walnut Street, which houses the bank and several other companies, around 9:30 a.m. The scene was secured within the hour, but Fountain Square and the surrounding area remain closed to traffic.
Lockdowns however, have since been lifted.
Police later Thursday descended on the suspect’s apartment in North Bend, located some 15 miles west of Cincinnati. They did not immediately explain the search and Eliot said authorities are “in the very early stage of investigation.”
Federal and state agents were also on the scene as investigators swept the building.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich tweeted he was in contact with officials over what he described as a “Senseless act of gun violence.”
“I commend law enforcement, fire and EMS personnel who swiftly responded to the scene and share my deepest sympathies with the victims,” he wrote.
Isaac also praised officers, who arrived at the site of the shooting within seconds, for their “quick response.” And Cranley said things “could have been much, much worse” without it.
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms officials are also on the scene to assist in the investigation. Officials have not yet revealed a motive in the attack.
