By William Weathers
and Erica Solvig
The Cincinnati Enquirer
A Sunday morning shooting in Avondale left two men dead in what police believe was a murder-suicide at a human services agency. The homicide was the 64th of the year, a record 15-year high for the Queen City.
A third person, the wife of one of the victims, was wounded in the shooting at the United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Cincinnati building, 3601 Victory Parkway.
The two people fatally shot were identified by police as United Cerebral Palsy therapist Alan Lawson, 35, of the 3900 block of Fordham Place, Silverton, and Phillip Rieke, 37, of the 4700 block of Summerside Road, Union Township in Clermont County.
UCP business skills manager Pam Rieke, 35, also of the Summerside Road address, was shot in the leg during the gunfire and taken to University Hospital, where she was treated and released.
Officers responded to a report of the shooting at 11:18 a.m. Mr. Lawson and Mr. Rieke were pronounced dead at the scene by Hamilton County Coroner's Office personnel.
Police would not say Sunday night which man was the shooter, nor would they provide other details. But police did say no other individuals were being sought in connection with the offense.
United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Cincinnati Inc., a United Way agency, provides services to individuals with physical disabilities, ages 18 months to adults. The national organization is one of the largest health charities in America, with 110 affiliates in 39 states.
The local agency's director, William Minor, declined to comment Sunday night. .
Mr. Lawson was a therapist who went into the schools to work with students with cerebral palsy. One teacher who knew Mr. Lawson described him as a nice, quiet man devoted to his students.
Mrs. Rieke was business skills manager at United Cerebral Palsy's Rendigs Center, also at the Victory Parkway location.
Neighbors who have known Mr. Rieke for several years said Sunday that he grew up in the area and eventually purchased his childhood home from his parents. He resided there with his wife and young son.
He was a family man, neighbors said, who was a member of St. Veronica Parish in Mount Carmel.
A neighbor said the community was shocked by the shootings.
While concerned about the rising number of homicides, Cincinnati police officials have said there's not much that can be done except focus on drugs, the common thread in most of this year's killings.
Cincinnati's 2001 homicide total for Cincinnati of 63 included five individuals killed by police.
The 2002 total of 64 - to date - does not include any fatal police shootings.
Before 2001's homicide total reached 63, the Queen City hadn't seen that many homicides since 1987, when hospital orderly Donald Harvey's victims boosted the total to 66.
Anyone who has information regarding the Sunday shootings is asked to call the Criminal Investigations Section at 352-3542 or Crime Stoppers at 352-3040. Callers may remain anonymous and receive compensation for their information.
E-mail bweathers@enquirer.com and esolvig@enquirer.com
SEE CINERGY IMPLOSION
Animation from Enquirer photos
Video from WCPO 
Galleries: Implosion | Crowd | Aerial shots |
Views from Kentucky
CINERGY IMPLOSION STORIES
Cinergy Field down in 37 seconds
Cleanup begins today, will take months
No hitches, no errors
New skyline already earning praise
What's next for the Riverfront?
Partiers impressed by implosion
Fifty-five years that shaped Cincinnati's riverfront
TOP LOCAL HEADLINES
64th homicide tops 15-year record
Vandals strike Nativity scene
Former contacts respect monitor
Experimental treatment may give boy 2nd chance
School is out, but reading class is in
PETER BRONSON COLUMN
Heart surgery for a city
AROUND THE TRISTATE
Tristate A.M. Report
Hometown Heroes: Helping others full-time job for trio
School kids broadcast news
Good News: Students do chores for charity
Obituary: Frank David Bergstein, 85, longtime inventor
You Asked For It
Congrats
OHIO
Ohio towns look for ways to save
Wright brothers ensured preservation of prairie
KENTUCKY
Woman recounts struggle in essay
Ala. church: No misconduct from priest
Rabbits plentiful for Ky. hunters
Educators support tax changes to help fund their schools
Ky. guard member in Rose parade
INDIANA
Report: Indiana needs to rethink funding for higher education
Gas tax increase among Indiana laws beginning in 2003
Robert O'Bannon Jr., 71, brother of Ind. governor, dies
