This story has been updated with additional information.
The man accused of fatally shooting a City Bird employee in Fountain Square on May 8 shared a ‘common girlfriend’ with the 25-year-old worker, according to prosecutors.
Christopher Shipmon, 36, fired three shots into the back of Darius Wheeler around 8:30 p.m. May 8 at Fountain Square, according to Cincinnati police. Shipmon is charged with murder.
Shipmon’s attorney said he owned a gun legally and acted in self-defense. A Cincinnati detective said Shipmon waited for Wheeler to leave the restaurant before the altercation began.
At a May 9 arraignment, Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Janaya Trotter Bratton granted Shipmon a no bond hearing scheduled for May 13.
Shipmon made prior threats, detective says
Neff said his client had no felony charges. He was leaving a restaurant in Fountain Square when Wheeler confronted him. Shipmon was scared for his life and used a gun he owns to defend himself, Neff said.
“As soon as it was over,” Neff said, “he did the right thing and went to the police station.”
Detective David Gregory with Cincinnati police said Wheeler initiated a “physical confrontation” but disagreed about what happened before then. Shipmon didn’t eat at the restaurant and waited for Wheeler to take out the trash before approaching him behind City Bird, Gregory said.
According to police, Shipmon pulled out a gun and fired one shot as they struggled. Shipmon followed as Wheeler began to run for the door. He fired three shots, Gregory said.
Shipmon made “allegations of previous threats of violence” against Wheeler due to their shared relationship, Gregory told The Enquirer after the arraignment. However, Gregory said he has not been able to substantiate the threats as he has not reviewed all the case’s evidence yet.
Cincinnati mayor responds to shooting
In a statement on his Facebook, Mayor Aftab Pureval said, “This is a central hub in our city that thousands of innocent residents use every day, and it’s unacceptable for tragedies like this to occur.”
“Our hearts are with the family and all those mourning this tragedy,” he added in his post.
Fifth Downtown shooting this year
A shooting in the same area happened in October 2025, sparking debates around the city’s safety following a string of high-profile crimes in the city.
Wheeler is the fifth person to be shot, fatally or otherwise, in Downtown this year. At this point last year, there had been six people shot in Downtown. Citywide shootings have increased over last year.
Cincinnati experienced a historically low number of shootings last year. There have been 89 shootings in the city so far this year, compared to 72 during the same period last year.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Fountain Square shooter had same girlfriend as victim, officials say
Reporting by Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
