In a quiet Tuesday afternoon in the Hartwell neighborhood of Cincinnati, the unthinkable unfolded: two lives lost, and a community stunned in the wake of a domestic-related tragedy. Around noon, officers from the Cincinnati Police Department were called to the 6600 block of Leeds Lane, just off Compton Road, after a report of a shooting.
When first responders arrived, they found a man and a woman suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Firefighters and paramedics rushed to administer life-saving care, but both victims were pronounced dead at the scene.
The victims have been identified: 24-year-old Jahmeila Warren and 32-year-old Eric Dawson. According to police, their investigation found that Dawson shot Warren before turning the gun on himself.
Family members of Warren are now grappling with shock and grief. In a heart-wrenching interview, her cousin Kayla described her as “everything” to the family—always happy-go-lucky, always smiling, even in harder times. “She was the favorite person to be around growing up,” Kayla said. They lived with their aunt together and felt more like sisters than cousins.
Friends and neighbors say the scene Tuesday afternoon was surreal: an apartment filled with police tape, emergency crews, hushed voices, and a heavy silence. One resident said the home is usually full of laughter and chatter; on this day, it was “quiet and heartbreaking.” Warrens’s name is now whispered with sorrow and disbelief throughout the neighborhood.
The investigation by the CPD Homicide Unit remains ongoing. Detectives are working to determine what led up to the shooting and whether there were warning signs or calls for help prior to Tuesday’s tragedy. Anyone with information is asked to contact the unit at 513-352-3542.
In the wake of the tragedy, community leaders and local organizations are urging anyone experiencing domestic conflict to seek help before it’s too late. For many, this terrible event underscores how quickly violence can overtake lives and leave permanent scars on families and neighborhoods.
Warren is being remembered not just for the life she had, but for the potential she held—a bright future cut short. Dawson’s actions have left those who knew him grappling with questions they may never have answers to, and a reminder that the ripple effects of such violence extend far beyond the immediate victims.