Restaurant owners near Fountain Square remain confident in the city’s efforts to combat Downtown crime, despite a double shooting that happened near the CityBird chicken tender restaurant Monday, Oct. 13.
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge said an argument began inside the CityBird restaurant. Two men left and fired into the restaurant from the outside, shattering windows and striking two teenagers. Theetge said police are looking for a 24-year-old man, whose name they did not release, on charges of felonious assault and illegal possession of a firearm. No one has yet been arrested for the shooting.
“We’re thankful to report that none of our team was involved or injured in this incident,” Joe Lanni, whose Thunderdome Restaurant Group owns CityBird, said in a statement. “We commend their bravery and sense of calm throughout the entirety of the event.”
While last night’s shooting was a shock, some Fountain Square restaurant owners remain undeterred.
“I think it’s another one of those one-off instances,” Anthony Sitek, whose Crown Restaurant Group owns Marigold, located just off the square, said of the shooting. “Wrong place, wrong time. Unfortunately, it happened, but I do think we are taking the proper steps to prevent it.”
After a late-night fight on Fourth Street gained national attention this summer, several Downtown restaurant owners, including Sitek, called on city officials to develop a plan to reduce violent crime.
“We love this city. We invest in its people. We serve its neighborhoods. And we will continue to be part of the solution – but we are calling on civic leaders to do the same with urgency, transparency, and conviction,” read the July 29 statement, which was also signed by Britney Ruby Miller of Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment, and Cristian and Amanda Pietoso, owners of Nicola’s, Forno Osteria + Bar, and Via Vite.
Sitek said he remains thankful for the work the city has done since then to make Downtown and Over-the-Rhine safer. In August, City Council created a uniform citywide curfew of 11 p.m. for anyone unaccompanied under the age of 18 and dedicated $2 million more for police and public safety.
Since then, Sitek said he has noticed an increased police presence in Downtown and Over-the-Rhine and that his confidence in the plan was bolstered by how quickly action was taken. “There were two police on Fountain Square and they did their job,” he said. “All we’re asking is that they keep the foot on the gas. It’s not like anybody is pulling out.”
Cristian Pietoso, owner of Via Vite restaurant, which went into lockdown following the shooting, said the quick response time from police was encouraging.
“I am confident things are happening and I am grateful for law enforcement who got there immediately,” he said.
When reached for comment, Ruby Miller, whose restaurant group operates Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse, on Fountain Square, issued the following statement.
“Like so many community leaders and citizens, I am deeply frustrated not only by the violence that occurred on Fountain Square last night but also by the continued pattern of crime our city has experienced in recent months. Over the past three months, I have dedicated significant time meeting biweekly with the Mayor and staying in close communication with the CPD, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Governor Mike DeWine’s team, and Senators Moreno and Husted, including conversations as recent as this morning.”
Meanwhile, Pietoso said crime in Cincinnati is no better or no worse than what he’s seen in other cities. “But we certainly aren’t perfect,” he added. “I work Downtown all the time, and I’ve never felt unsafe, but I’m not diminishing what happened.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Here’s what Downtown restaurant owners are saying after Fountain Square shooting
Reporting by Keith Pandolfi, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
