Cincinnati Police Show Police Bodycam Video From Mass Shooting

Officials said they stopped an active shooter in downtown Cincinnati after engaging him in a gun battle.

Omar Santa Perez, 29, shot and killed three people at the Fifth Third Center in Cincinnati’s Fountain Square on Sept. 6, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. He was shot and killed by police.

Witnesses said that Perez was wearing a business suit while carrying a briefcase when the shooting started.

Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot K. Isaac said during a Sept. 7 press conference that he “couldn’t be prouder” of the officers who responded to the shooting, according to the Enquirer.

Isaac added that Perez fired about 35 shots and was carrying 200 rounds in the briefcase.

During the press conference, the Cincinnati Police Department showed the body camera footage of officers firing shots into the building.

“This could have been a bloodbath beyond imagination,” said Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters, WLWT reported.

Police didn’t reveal a motive for the shooting. Officials said that he didn’t have any connection with tenants of the building where he opened fire.

Perez, who lived in a nearby city, was not a former or current employee of the bank, Reuters reported.

Police said that it is not clear if Perez had a history of mental illness.

The three victims were identified Luis Felipe Calderon, 48; Pruthvi Raj Kandepi, 25; and Richard Newcomer, 64, according to the Hamilton County Coroner’s office, CNN reported. Two other people were shot, but they survived.

Cincinnati Police respond to a shooting inside a bank in downtown, in this social media photo released in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Sept. 6, 2018. Cincinnati Police Department/Handout via Reuters

Details of the Shooting

CNN quoted several workers as saying that they fled the building, hid in bathrooms, and hid in closets.

“All that was going through my mind was they’re coming, they’re coming for us. The shots got closer and closer and closer and closer and that’s all you can think about is, I’m next, I’m next, I’m next,” Janetta Cook, a bakery worker, was quoted by CNN saying.

Michele Parks told CNN: “There was nowhere we could go. The only thing we could do was to protect each other, go in the bathroom and pray everything was okay.”

“He was actively shooting innocent victims, it appears, and our officers were able to kill him and stop the threat very quickly,” Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley said, according to Reuters.

Reaction

“The actions of one sick man doesn’t change that. That’s not what our city is,” City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld wrote on Twitter. “I will be eating lunch on Fountain Square tomorrow, mindful of the true character of Cincinnati.”

Sen. Rob Portman said in part: “My staff and I are following the situation in Cincinnati. If you’re downtown, please follow first responder instructions for the safety of everyone involved. Jane and I hope for a peaceful resolution soon,” WLWT reported.

Officials at the Fifth Third Bank also said in a statement: “Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone caught up in this terrible event. We continue to work with law enforcement as we ensure the safety of our employees and customers. We are grateful for the support and concerns from our neighbors throughout Cincinnati and the country.”