An 18-year-old man is accused of firing shots on I-71 in Hamilton County on Sunday, and at least two drivers alerted law enforcement about the scene he’s accused of causing.
Aaron Phelan is charged with aggravated menacing and discharging a firearm on or near prohibited premises. No one was injured in the shooting.
One caller told Hamilton County dispatchers he was driving through the area and noticed a man, shirtless, with a rifle in the middle of the interstate. Another caller said he approached the suspect to try to help.
“I pulled over in front of it because he was coming out of the lanes,” the caller explained. “I thought he was like trying to lay down and kill himself or something. But that’s not at all what’s happening. I don’t know if he’s losing his mind or what.”
During Phelan’s first court appearance on Monday, his attorney described him as a “star football player” and a graduate of Monroe High School. The defense attorney said the shooting could be a situation of involuntary intoxication. However, Hamilton County Assistant Prosecutor Mike Keeling described it differently.
“When they questioned him, he admits to shooting and says he was trying to shoot people who were trying to steal his car’s engine,” Keeling explained. “Seems to be some mental health issue or something like that.”
At least four shots were fired on the interstate, according to Keeling.
A Hamilton County judge set Phelan’s bond at $100,000 for each charge.
A spokesperson for the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office said there is no connection between Sunday’s shooting and the fatal shooting on I-71 in late May. There is still no update or suspect identified in the May 21 shooting.
_______________
Stay up to date with our social media:
WKRC on Facebook:
WKRC on Twitter:
WKRC on Instagram:
WKRC on TikTok:
Subscribe to WKRC on YouTube:
For more information, visit
Download the WKRC News app:
Download the WKRC Weather app:
Have a news tip? Send it directly to us:
Email us: local12@local12.com
Call the Newsroom: 513.421.6872
WKRC is an OH based station and a CBS Television affiliate owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today.
#WKRC #LOCAL12 #cincinnati #news #cincinnatinews
This video and all Sinclair Broadcast Group content archives of local news and sports coverage are available for your use. For more information contact us at contentsales@sbgtv.com
Note to readers: Please click the share buttons above or below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, social media, internet forums. etc.
18 looking 40
What? His bond was not high enough!