Monday, July 10, 2000

2 shootings leave two men dead

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By William Weathers and Reid Forgrave
The Cincinnati Enquirer

        Two men are dead following separate shootings early Sunday in Hamilton and Cincinnati.

        A shooting in the parking lot of a Hamilton apartment complex resulted in the death of a 34-year-old Hamilton man, police said.

        Donald Downard, of Ross Avenue, died after bullets fired from close range struck him as he sat in his truck, Mr. Downard's mother, Penny, said.

        Hamilton police are investigating the shooting, which was reported at 2:47 a.m. in the 1100 block of Beckett Street. No further information is available, police said.

        Mr. Downard's family and neighbors said that Mr. Downard, a construction worker, was a hard worker and a friendly man.

        “He would always volunteer to clean the walks for people, and he always kept his place really clean,” said Herbert Caudill, who lives near Mr. Downard on Ross Avenue.

        In Cincinnati, homicide investigators are looking for two possible suspects in the shooting death of Bubacarr Kassama, 25, of Colerain Township.

        Officers responded to a report of a shooting in the 2100 block of Fulton Avenue in Cincinnati's Walnut Hills neighborhood at 5:56 a.m.

        They found Mr. Kassama lying on the sidewalk.

        The Hamilton County coroner's office will perform an autopsy, but the case is being treated as a homicide, police said.

        Witnesses report seeing two males running from the area immediately following the shooting, but there have been no arrests, police said.

        Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 352-3040, or the homicide unit at 352-3542.

       

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