Three victims identified in mass shooting near University of Cincinnati

The three men killed in a mass shooting Monday near the University of Cincinnati have been identified.

The Cincinnati Police Department confirmed Newsweek that Shawn McDaniel Jr., 22, his father, Shawn McDaniel Sr., 45, and Laurenz Nixon, 21, all died from gunshots in a shooting near a home at 306 E. University Avenue.

A fourth victim was shot and taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and is in serious but stable condition, police said.

Authorities patrolling the area responded around 2:45 a.m. Monday morning when they heard gunshots. The Cincinnati Fire Department began performing life-saving measures on the victims.

McDaniel Sr. was pronounced dead at the scene. Nixon and McDaniel Jr. were taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where they later died.

Police released radio reports of the incident on Monday, in which an officer can be heard saying: “I'm getting a man in a wheelchair who says this is self-defense. He says he's injured. I think I have a victim on my back, who I'm keeping a close eye on.”

“I have two victims, both on the ground, unconscious, and four firearms,” ​​another officer said.

No arrests have been made in the incident, but police say they saw a man enter the home with a gun.

“This person came out voluntarily,” police said on the radio. “We don't know if he was the shooter (or) if he was hiding a weapon. We have no idea.”

The University of Cincinnati has not commented on the shooting. Newsweek contacted the university and did not receive a response.

The CPD Homicide Unit is investigating the shooting. Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with ALL those affected by this tragic incident, it is simply heartbreaking,” said Lt. Jonathan Cunningham Newsweek Monday.

Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are injured. Using that definition, this is Cincinnati's second mass shooting of the year. On June 15, five people were shot and killed in Madisonville's Bramble Park. Their ages ranged from 24 to 46, and none of them suffered life-threatening injuries.

Elsewhere, in Columbus, Ohio, there have been 13 mass shootings in the city since 2023. The last one happened on June 23, injuring 10 people aged 16 to 27 who were all expected to survive.

Do you have a story? Newsweek Have questions about this story? Contact [email protected]