Police say the three victims were hit while driving in Cincinnati’s West End around 3 a.m. on Dec. 25.
CINCINNATI, OH — A 58-year-old man was arrested after a mother and her two daughters were shot while driving in the city’s West End early Christmas morning, police said. The gunfire struck the 36-year-old woman and girls, ages 10 and 15, around 3 a.m. Thursday on Central Avenue near Kindel Street.
The case drew swift attention because it unfolded on a holiday and involved children. Cincinnati police said all three victims were hospitalized and are expected to survive. Officers later identified the suspect as James Brown and booked him on three counts of felonious assault. By Friday morning, a judge set Brown’s bond at $900,000, according to court proceedings observed by local reporters. Detectives are still working to determine what led to the shooting, which happened as the victims’ vehicle traveled through a residential stretch of the West End.
Officers responded to the block after reports of shots fired and found a dark SUV with multiple bullet holes and shattered driver-side windows. The vehicle’s horn blared for several moments as neighbors came to their doors. “She was laying on that horn maybe for help,” said neighbor Monica Maynard, who lives nearby and described hearing at least eight shots before police arrived. First responders took the mother to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and transported both children to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Investigators said one child was hit in the leg; they did not immediately specify the other wounds but said none were believed to be life-threatening.
Police said Brown drove away from the scene in a silver Chevrolet Impala before officers located him and took him into custody. In a brief court appearance the next day, Brown faced three felonious assault counts tied to the injuries of the mother and both girls. Court records reviewed by local outlets indicate Brown and the adult victim knew each other before the shooting. Since 2022, Brown was charged several times in cases involving that woman, including allegations of assault and property damage; those earlier cases were dismissed when the complaints did not move forward. Brown has a long arrest history dating back decades, according to police and court records.
The West End, a historic neighborhood just west of downtown, has wrestled with periodic gun violence near the Central Avenue corridor. City data this year listed roughly a dozen-plus shootings in the neighborhood before Christmas, fewer than the same period a year earlier. The intersection near Kindel Street sits amid rowhouses, small apartment buildings and churches, and is a main route connecting residents to downtown and major thoroughfares. Residents said the early-morning gunfire on a holiday rattled families who had presents under trees and relatives visiting for the day. Patrol officers increased visibility through the weekend while detectives canvassed for witnesses and video.
After his arrest, Brown’s attorney told local reporters he would argue self-defense. Police have not publicly detailed that claim or released a full account of how the confrontation began. Detectives said they are still gathering evidence, including shell casings and any surveillance footage that might show the movements of both vehicles before and after the shots were fired. Investigators also are seeking to interview additional witnesses who heard or saw the incident. Officials have not released the names of the mother or the children because of their ages and ongoing medical treatment.
In court Friday, a Hamilton County Municipal Court judge set Brown’s bond at $900,000 — $300,000 on each count — and ordered him to have no contact with the victims if released. Prosecutors said the case will be presented to a grand jury. Felonious assault is a second-degree felony in Ohio; a conviction can carry a prison term. Police said they are conferring with the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office on potential additional charges, depending on medical findings and the results of the evidence review. A next court date was not immediately available late Friday.
Back on Central Avenue, residents described a chaotic but brief burst of gunfire before Christmas morning sunrise. Some woke to the sound of the blaring horn and the sight of officers taping off the street. “It’s heartbreaking any time, but on Christmas with kids involved, it just hits different,” said West End resident Andre Collins, who lives a block from the intersection and returned home to find cruisers lining the street. City crews cleared the scene before dawn, leaving behind a few glass fragments and taped-up cardboard over the SUV’s windows as daylight returned and families resumed holiday plans.
As of Saturday, police said the mother and both girls were stable at area hospitals, and detectives continued interviews and evidence collection. The case is expected to be reviewed for possible indictment in the coming days, with charging decisions to follow. Authorities said they will release updated information when available, including any confirmed timeline and additional forensic findings.
Author note: Last updated December 27, 2025.