Official IDs person killed in drive-by shooting at bus station near Cincinnati’s Fountain Square

Cincinnati police investigate a shooting near Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati early Wednesday, July 5, 2023. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO FROM WCPO/ADAM SCHRAND

Cincinnati police investigate a shooting near Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati early Wednesday, July 5, 2023. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO FROM WCPO/ADAM SCHRAND

CINCINNATI — The 18-year-old great-niece of Cincinnati anti-violence advocate Peterson Mingo was killed in a Wednesday morning drive-by shooting, according to Mitch Morris of Cincinnati Works.

It happened around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Government Square bus station near Fountain Square.

Investigators said Shamari Mingo was shot in the chest. She was unconscious when police arrived. A news crew on the scene said paramedics were working on her for at least a half hour before taking her to the hospital.

She was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.

Police initially said Mingo was a 20-year-old, but the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office said she is 18.

Investigators said the second victim, a teen, was shot in the knee. She was taken to Cincinnati Children’s and is expected to recover.

Police said there were a lot of people in the area when the shooting happened and they are interviewing witnesses.

Investigators said they believe the suspect was driving a white Kia.

East Fifth Street and Walnut Street were blocked off by police tape for hours. The crime scene stretched about two blocks from Vine Street to Main Street. According to Metro, the entire Government Square hub was closed. Everything reopened around 7:30 a.m.

Police have not said if the suspect and the victims are known to each other.

Pastor Mingo is known as a prominent figure in the city’s anti-violence movement. He started the Evanston Youth Athletic Association in 1993 and is a “champion for bettering the lives of youth in the Cincinnati area,” according to the Peace Bowl Classic, another organization Mingo founded.

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