Gunfire Near Play Area Sends Families on Edge; Police Probe Second Scene

A woman said she filmed video Thursday evening near Hewitt Avenue and Hackberry Street just before 7 p.m. as children played at a park in Evanston; several shots sound on the recording, followed by screaming.

A neighbor told reporters Friday he heard the gunfire in daylight. "This is usually quiet right here. All of it is quiet," he said. He said shots near children leave families on edge: "It's alarming because children are playing. Children are playing. That's the main thing. The safety of the kids."

Cincinnati police said they responded to a shots-fired call in the 1700 block of Kinney Avenue around the same time. Officers recovered shell casings there and found that one round entered a home window. Investigators have not confirmed whether the call and the park video are connected, and the two locations sit streets apart.

The man who lives nearby said the community has taken steps to reduce violence. "Anything could have happened. Thank God nobody got hit. Maybe it was a prank. Maybe they were trying to scare somebody, who knows?" he said.

Police have not identified suspects in either location. No injuries were reported. The video and the Kinney Avenue response both occurred Thursday evening, October 29, 2026.