A man shot and killed a City Bird employee in downtown Cincinnati over a “common girlfriend,” prosecutors said.
Christopher Shipmon, 36, fired three shots into the back of Darius Wheeler, 25, at about 8:30 p.m. May 8 at Fountain Square, according to Cincinnati police. Shipmon is charged with murder.
The two had a “common girlfriend,” according to prosecuting attorney Michael Massie, who spoke at Shipmon’s first court appearance. A Cincinnati detective said the shooting followed an altercation between the two men.
When Shipmon appeared in court on May 9, his attorney Kerry Neff said he owned a gun legally and acted in self-defense. He noted Shipmon turned himself in afterward.
Shipmon is scheduled to next appear at court on May 13.
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.
This story will be updated.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Fountain Square shooting was over ‘common girlfriend,’ officials say
Reporting by Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
