Police name 7-year-old boy shot, killed in Mt. Airy

Cincinnati Police District 5 have identified the 7-year-old boy who was fatally shot at a Mount Airy apartment complex on Sunday. 

Police found Chance Gilbert, 7, dead inside of an apartment building in the 4800 block of Hawaiian Terrace. Officers responded to a report that someone was shot shortly before 2 p.m.

Police initially said the boy was 8-years-old, but later said he was 7. 

"Our hearts and prayers go out to the family; we're going to figure out what happened," District 5 Capt. Craig Gregoire said.

Police say the investigation is ongoing. 

The Enquirer reported on April 30 that gun violence had spiked in Cincinnati since the stay at home order began on March 25.

"Cincinnati’s homicide rate is more than double what it was last year, and today we heard that an 8-year-old child was added to the list of victims. At this point, we don’t know any details about the shooting, but we do know that all life is precious, and this young child deserved to be protected. All of our children and all of our citizens deserve to live in safety. Our prayers go to the family of the young victim and our hearts are with them," said Cincinnati City Councilmember Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney.

Homicides in Cincinnati have increased 131% this year compared with the same period in 2019.

From Jan. 1 to April 28, there have been 30 homicides in the city. During that same time last year, 13 people were killed, according to data from the Cincinnati Police Department. 

No other information is available at this time.

The Enquirer will update this story.