2 teens killed at Smale Park shooting. One was Princeton City Schools student

Two teens are dead and three others were shot in Smale Park on July 4th where issues have been increasing for about a year, said Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac.

"This is not something I think we can take lightly by any means," Isaac said. "16-year-olds, 15-year-olds should be able to come to the park on a given evening, a holiday weekend and not have to be subject to gunfire.”

The chief confirmed that 400 to 500 people, mostly teens, were at the park when the gunfire started.

Isaac said Milo Watson, 16, and Dexter Wright, Jr., 19, were each killed after exchanging gunfire. The other teens were caught in the crossfire. 

One of the shooting victims died at the scene and a second died at the University of Cincinnati Hospital Medical Center.

Princeton City Schools Superintendent Tim Burton confirmed that Watson was an 11th-grade student in a written statement.

"Our heart is with Milo’s family and loved ones as they process this tragic loss," Burton said in the release. "We have a deep concern for the safety and well-being of our students, their families, and those who were impacted by this terrible event. The loss of a student creates a hole in our community that is felt by us all." 

Police responded at 10:48 p.m. 1 West Mehring Way to a report of multiple shooting victims, Isaac said. Officers found two males and a female on the ground with gunshot wounds.

A 17-year-old girl is in critical condition after being shot in the back and a 15-year-old boy and 16-year-old girl suffered gunshot wounds to their arms, police said.

Wright and Watson were involved in an ongoing disagreement that spilled over into gunfire Sunday night. Police continue to investigate and said others may be involved but they are not actively seeking any other individuals.

No weapons were recovered at the scene, Isaac said.

He called upon ministers, teachers and mentors to be out with juveniles when there are activities and events.

"We want responsible adults to be there to supervise," he said. "We don’t believe that uniformed police officers are necessarily the sole answer to monitor the activity of teens on a holiday weekend."

Isaac said about 78 officers responded. He said officers were heroes as they applied tourniquets and worked to revive one of the males killed. 

The Fred Shuttlesworth Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, in a release, called for a community-wide town hall focusing on nonviolent conflict resolution for youths in the Cincinnati area.

Mayor John Cranley said the community will need to engage in order to slow the violence.

"I have asked the city manager and chief to convene the Manager's Advisory Group to examine causes, evaluate resources and ultimately create a plan to address youth violence in our City," Cranley said in a statement These kids are turning to violence to solve their problems, to retaliate when they feel they have been wronged. This is rooted in problems faced by youth long before they engage in such acts. We need help from the community."

City councilman Christopher Smitherman similarly has called on parents and guardians to know where their children are at all times.

Smitherman, who is vice mayor and chair of city council's law and public safety committee, said crowds of young people have become a regular occurrence at night at the riverfront park

“Families are going to have to step up and know where their babies are and there has to be a moral drumbeat here,” Smitherman said.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said no amount of money can fix the problem.

"Parents must parent their children. Communities must speak up. Criminal behavior can no longer be tolerated and ignored," Deters said. "Until we insist on personal accountability, criminals will feel emboldened and the madness will continue."

This is the first fatal shooting at The Banks since at least 2009 and since Smale Park was officially opened in 2012, according to data from Cincinnati police.

Shootings were rare in the area until last year. Between the beginning of 2009 to the end of 2019, there were three people shot at The Banks. Since the beginning of 2020, there have been 11 people shot in the area, which became a more popular destination during the pandemic.

Enquirer reporter Cameron Knight contributed.

The blue markers show shootings that occurred between Jan. 2009 and the end of 2019, 11 years of incidents. The orange markers show the shootings that occurred between Jan. 2019 and the end of June 2021. Sunday's shootings are not shown.