By Associated Press - Thursday, September 6, 2018

CINCINNATI (AP) - The Latest on a fatal shooting at downtown Cincinnati bank (all times local):

6:45 p.m.

A coroner in Cincinnati says the three men killed Thursday in a downtown office shooting ranged in age from 25 to 64.

The Hamilton County Coroner’s office identified the victims as 25-year-old Pruthvi Kandepi, 48-year-old Luis Calderon and 64-year-old Richard Newcomer.

All three were killed when police say 29-year-old Omar Enrique Santa Perez opened fire at the 30-story headquarters of Fifth Third Bancorp in Cincinnati.

Two other people were wounded in the shooting before police officers shot and killed the shooter.

Investigators say Santa Perez used a 9mm handgun and had an estimated 200 rounds or more of ammunition.

Police Chief Eliot Isaac says authorities don’t know why Santa Perez opened fire Thursday morning.

___

5:10 p.m.

Police have identified the slain gunman in a downtown Cincinnati high-rise shooting that left three other people dead and two more wounded.

Police Chief Eliot Isaac says authorities don’t know why 29-year-old Omar Enrique Santa Perez opened fire at the 30-story headquarters of Fifth Third Bancorp. Isaac says police believe he’s lived in the Cincinnati area since 2015.

He says the shooter carried a 9mm handgun, and carried an estimated 200 rounds or more of ammunition.

Police say four officers opened fire on Santa Perez, who dropped to the floor and was dead at the scene. Isaac says police are still investigating, including searching his apartment home some 15 miles west of Cincinnati.

___

4:15 p.m.

A prosecutor says the suspect in a downtown shooting that left four dead and two wounded was carrying a large amount of ammunition.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters (DEE’-turs) tells WLWT-TV that the rapid police response likely prevented many more casualties. He says officers immediately charged toward the sound of gunfire coming from the Fifth Third Bancorp’s 30-story headquarters along Cincinnati’s Fountain Square.

He says an investigator told him the suspect had enough ammunition to cause “a bloodbath beyond imagination.”

Deters confirms that police are searching the suspect’s apartment home in North Bend, a village 15 miles (25 kilometers) west of Cincinnati. He says bomb squad investigators first made sure there were no booby-trap explosives inside.

Police haven’t named the suspect but plan a late afternoon update.

___

3:05 p.m.

Police in Cincinnati say the suspect in a downtown shooting that left four dead and two wounded didn’t work for the bank where the gunfire took place.

Police Lt. Steve Saunders says Fifth Third Bancorp says the man was not a current or past employee. The gunman was among the four who died. Two other people were hospitalized with gunshot wounds.

Saunders says police don’t know yet why he went to the regional banker’s 30-story headquarters building.

He says they expect to release more information Friday. No names are being released until all relatives are notified.

Police were searching an apartment in North Bend, Ohio, a village 15 miles (24 kilometers) west.

___

2:45 p.m.

The Cincinnati Reds say there will be a moment of silence by the team and fans before Thursday night’s game with the San Diego Padres, in the aftermath of a downtown shooting that left four dead.

The Major League Baseball club offers thoughts and prayers to Thursday morning’s victims and their families and friends, and also thanks the city’s first responders.

The gunman and three shooting victims died, and at least two more people were hospitalized with gunshot wounds. Police didn’t immediately release any information about the suspect.

The Reds say they will honor the victims before the singing of the National Anthem. They play in a stadium within easy walking distance of the Fifth Third Bank building shooting scene.

___

2 p.m.

A woman who works in a Cincinnati building where a gunman opened fire says her co-worker was on an elevator when the doors opened and she nearly stepped on a man’s body.

Jessica Hanson says her co-worker was in shock and that’s when people in her office found what had happened Thursday morning.

Police say four people, including the gunman, died in the shooting that started in a loading dock and spilled into the lobby at the Fifth Third Bank headquarters.

Hanson says she was working on one of the lower floors when she heard gunshots.

She then saw people running into the square outside the building and ducking for cover as officers started shooting into the bank.

Authorities were conducting a search at an apartment about 15 miles from the scene.

___

1:40 p.m.

Authorities are searching an apartment about 15 miles from the scene of a downtown Cincinnati shooting that left four dead, including the gunman.

Police didn’t release any other details as they established a large presence in North Bend, a village west of Cincinnati.

The bank company whose headquarters building was the shooting scene says in a statement it is working with police to ensure safety.

Cincinnati-based regional banker Fifth Third Bancorp offers thoughts and prayers for “everyone caught up in this terrible event.”

The company didn’t offer any details. Police haven’t released the name of the gunman, who was dead at the scene.

The 30-story building also houses other businesses, including a bakery and ice cream shop.

Fifth Third operates some 1,200 banking centers in 10 states.

___

1:05 p.m.

Witnesses describe a chaotic scene when gunfire left four dead in downtown Cincinnati.

Servatii Bakery manager Jaenetta Cook says she hurried to lock the door after the first two shots were fired Thursday morning. She says she was relieved to survive, “to see my kids, to see another day.”

It happened at a 30-story building, home to regional banker Fifth Third Bancorp and other businesses, including popular ice cream, pastry and sandwich shops.

Michael Richardson, who works in the bank building, told The Cincinnati Enquirer he started running when he saw the gunman shooting.

It’s unclear if the gunman shot himself or was shot by officers. Two victims remained hospitalized.

Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley said the gunman was “actively shooting innocent victims” and that it was a “horrific” scene.

___

11:20 a.m.

Police say four people are dead, including the gunman, in a downtown Cincinnati bank shooting.

Police Chief Eliot Isaac said the shooter opened fire early Thursday morning at the loading dock of the Fifth Third Bank building. Isaac said the gunman then entered the bank’s lobby where he exchanged gunfire with police. It’s unclear if the gunman shot himself or was shot by officers.

One of the victims also died at the scene.

Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley said the gunman was “actively shooting innocent victims” and that it was a “horrific” scene.

He noted the building on the city’s Fountain Square houses popular ice cream, sandwich and pastry shops.

He says it “could have been much, much worse” if not for the immediate police response to end the threat.

___

11:05 a.m.

Police say four people are dead, including the gunman, in a downtown Cincinnati bank shooting.

Police Chief Eliot Isaac said the shooter opened fire early Thursday morning at the loading dock of the Fifth Third Bank building.

Isaac said the gunman then entered the bank’s lobby where he exchanged gunfire with the shooter. It’s unclear if the gunman shot himself or was shot by officers.

One of the victims died at the scene.

Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley said the gunman was “actively shooting innocent victims” and that it was a “horrific” scene.

___

10:30 a.m.

Police say they’ve responded to an active shooter situation at the Fifth Third Bank building in downtown Cincinnati and there are multiple injuries.

The police department tweeted it as an “active shooter/officer involved shooting incident.” The situation appeared to be under control shortly before 10 a.m. EDT Thursday.

Police say multiple people have been transported to an area hospital but there is no word on their conditions. It wasn’t immediately clear if the shooter was one of them.

At least two ambulances were seen leaving the scene.

People in and around the building reported hearing a series of gunshots.

A spokeswoman for Fifth Third Bancorp says the company will comment later.

A news conference was planned for Thursday morning.

___

10 a.m.

Police say they’ve responded to an active shooter situation at the Fifth Third Bank building in downtown Cincinnati and there are multiple injuries.

The police department in a Tweet described it as an “active shooter/officer involved shooting incident.” The situation appeared to be under control shortly before 10 a.m. EDT Thursday but police said they are still investigating.

An officer at the scene says there are at least two, and possibly more, people who’ve been shot. It wasn’t clear immediately if the shooter was one of them.

At least two ambulances were seen leaving the scene.

Streets around the building at the city’s Fountain Square were closed as were sidewalks.

People in and around the building reported hearing a series of gunshots.

Federal agents were on the scene.

___

9:45 a.m.

Police say they’ve responded to an active shooter situation at the Fifth Third Bank building in downtown Cincinnati.

The police department in a Tweet described it as an “active shooter/officer involved shooting incident.”

An officer at the scene says there are at least two, and possibly more, people who’ve been shot. It wasn’t clear immediately if the shooter was one of them.

Streets around the building at the city’s Fountain Square were closed Thursday morning, as were sidewalks.

Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.

Click to Read More and View Comments

Click to Hide