It Can Happen To You

Armed resistance to thugs increases the opportunity to save innocent lives. Resistance by any other method - or no resistance at all - can be deadly.

June 23, 2004
ChannelCincinnati.com

Shootings Followed Botched Robberies, Police Say

CINCINNATI -- A 14-year-old boy who is already being held on murder charges is now being charged with killing another person days after the first homicide.

David Harris was charged Tuesday with aggravated murder and robbery in the death of George Vance, 27, of Burlington, Ky., WLWT Eyewitness News 5 reported.

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Vance was shot and killed May 17 in the 1500 block of Race Street in Over-the-Rhine.

Harris was already being held in the Hamilton County Juvenile Detention Center on aggravated murder and aggravated robbery charges when the new charges were filed Tuesday.

Police said Harris shot and killed David Hutchinson May 13, 2004, on West Elder Street in Over-the-Rhine.

According to the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office, Harris was a runaway at the time of the shootings.

Both Hutchinson and Vance resisted when Harris tried to rob them, which prompted Harris to pull the trigger, the prosecutor's office said.

June 23, 2004
Columbus Dispatch

2 intruders opened fire, terrifying family

A man and a 10-year-old boy were shot during a break-in of a South Side home early yesterday, Columbus police said.

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Police were called about 2 a.m. to 1811 Nason Ave. on a report that two men had forced their way into the home and opened fire, said Sgt. Brent Mull, a police spokesman.

James Muncy, 36, was shot four times. He was taken to Grant Medical Center, where he was in critical condition last night.

Tonya Perry, who lives in the home and described herself as a friend of Muncy’s, said doctors told her they expect him to recover.

Perry’s 10-year-old son, Toby, was shot in the buttocks. He was released from Children’s Hospital after being treated but is staying with an aunt because he’s too frightened to return home, his mother said.

Perry speculated the intruders were trying to shoot the family’s dog, which, she said, appeared ready to attack the men.

Yesterday afternoon, Perry said she was still terrified. She pointed to bullet holes in the home’s floor, a couch and a beanbag chair where Toby was lying when the men broke in.

The break-in was the third time her family had been crime victims in recent months, she said.

"But it’s never happened when we were home before — just when we were gone," she said. "This time, we were home, and I had five kids here. They could have killed the kids."

June 24, 2004
Toledo Blade

Assailant who shot himself is dead

A Toledo man who shot his ex-girlfriend's father in the back and then shot himself in the head Tuesday night died yesterday.
Jon Swartz, 30, who had addresses on Brooke Park and Breezeway drives, was pronounced dead at 10:33 a.m. in Toledo Hospital. His ex-girlfriend's father, Patrick Bain, was treated in the hospital after the shootings inside the Bain house, 2827 Middlesex Drive.

Toledo police Lt. Bill Moton said Swartz called Ms. Bain on Tuesday and asked her if she would go with him somewhere. She declined, and he showed up at her house 15 minutes later.

Mr. Bain opened the door and told Swartz to leave his daughter alone. Ms. Bain saw Swartz loading a gun and told her father to close the door. Swartz then pounded on the door. Ms. Bain told her father to get away from the door because Swartz had a gun, the lieutenant said.

He said Swartz fired two shots through the door. Swartz then broke the glass in the door, opened the door, and went inside. Mr. Bain grabbed a baby gate and tried to ward off Swartz, the lieutenant said.

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He said Mr. Bain turned to run upstairs when Swartz shot him. Mr. Bain went upstairs, where he was with his wife, Ms. Bain, and her child. Swartz followed.

The lieutenant said the family tried to convince Swartz to stop, and Mr. Bain tried to protect his daughter and grandchild. But Swartz jumped on Mr. Bain and the two struggled. When Swartz heard police sirens, he said he didn't want to go to jail and talked about being shot, the lieutenant said.

Officers heard screaming and gunfire inside the house when they arrived. As they entered, they saw Mr. Bain, his daughter, and grandchild coming downstairs. Mr. Bain's wife followed. They told police Swartz shot himself and was in an upstairs bedroom.

Police found him lying unconscious on the floor with a 9mm gun in his hand.

Lieutenant Moton said Swartz's and Ms. Bain's relationship was volatile. Police said Swartz was the jealous type and had threatened Ms. Bain before.