By Jim Hannah
The Cincinnati Enquirer

FLORENCE - An 18-year-old Covington man is accused of firing a gun Monday morning in the parking lot of St. Luke Hospital West after chasing his pregnant girlfriend to the suburban hospital.

Raymond E. Banks will be arraigned this morning in Boone County District Court. He is charged with first-degree wanton endangerment and was being held Monday night at Boone County jail. Bond had not yet been set.

Banks' girlfriend, whom police did not identify, was driving to the hospital with her mother when Banks tried to stop their car several times on Houston Road, sheriff's deputies said. The girlfriend was having a medical emergency, deputies said.

It was unclear what led to the chase or shots fired.

The girlfriend and her mother pulled into the hospital parking lot shortly after 8 a.m., jumped out of their car and fled into the reception area. Deputies said Banks was right behind them with a gun.

He allegedly stopped outside of the reception area, pulled a .22 caliber handgun and fired it at least three times into the air.

No one was injured.

Deputies arrived at the hospital parking lot at 8:18 a.m. but Banks was already gone. He was arrested by Covington police 30 minutes later at his home. A handgun was seized during the arrest.

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E-mail jhannah@enquirer.com