By William A. Weathers
The Cincinnati Enquirer

UPDATE

The second man shot Monday remains on life support at University Hospital. Latest updates...

OVER-THE-RHINE - Two men were killed in separate shootings in Over-the-Rhine within six hours Monday.

The names of the victims had not been released late Monday.

The shooting deaths are the 28th and 29th homicides in Cincinnati so far this year. At this point last year, the same number of homicides had occurred in Cincinnati. For all of 2003, there were 75 homicides in the city, the most in 26 years. Ten were in Over-the-Rhine.

Homicide investigators were still working on the first fatal shooting when they were called out for the second Monday night.

The first shooting occurred about 4:05 p.m. in the 1500 block of Republic St., police said. When officers responded, they found a man on the ground with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The shooting victim was taken to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

The second shooting occurred about 9:55 p.m. at 13th and Vine streets. When officers arrived, they found a 28-year-old man lying in the middle of the street with at least two gunshot wounds, including one to the head. He was taken to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead soon after arrival.

There was a crowd of people nearby when the man was shot, but no one came forward as witnesses, police said.

"There were 50 to 100 people in the area," said Capt. Kathleen Howard.

A security guard working a block away told police saw several males running away after the shooting.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Cincinnati Police Department's criminal investigations section at 352-3542 or Crime Stoppers at 352-3040.