7-Year-Old Boy Shot Dead In Ohio Apartment Complex, Investigation Underway

A seven-year-old boy was killed in a shooting at an apartment complex in Cincinnati, Ohio on May 17.

Cincinnati Police Department responded to reports of a shooting in Hawaiian Terrace located at Hamilton County. When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered the body of a young boy with gunshot injuries inside of an apartment building at around 2 p.m. Sunday.

Authorities initially said the boy was eight-years-old but later identified the victim as seven-year-old Chance Gilbert. He was a third-grader at Riverview Elementary School.

According to police, the case was being investigated by the homicide unit, however, they were unable to determine if the shooting was accidental or intentional. They did not reveal any further information regarding the incident.

“I don’t have any details of the investigation,” said Captain Craig Gregoire. "Our hearts and our prayers are out with the family. This was a very tragic day for all and we’re trying to get to the bottom of this."

The School’s administration released a statement regarding the boy’s demise, WLWT reported.

"The district is heartbroken over the sad news of the passing of Chance. We send our love and support to his family and hope they find peace and comfort during this difficult time. Even in his young life, he has left a mark with his vibrant personality and will be sorely missed by our school community,” the school said in the statement.

Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, a Cincinnati City Council member also addressed the issue.

"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," she said. "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.”

The circumstances that lead to the shooting remained unknown and no arrests have been made as of yet. The case was still under investigation.