A total of eight people now face charges — some with a possibility of the death penalty if found guilty — after two shootings in Hamilton that killed three people and injured several others.
A Butler County grand jury returned indictments Thursday against seven men and one woman for the shooting July 24 at Doubles Bar and Aug. 3 along Central Avenue.
Gun violence at the South Main Street bar on the city’s west side killed Kalif Goens, 21, of Hamilton, and injured seven others, according to Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser.
Days later, two men were killed in a drive-by shooting along Central Avenue, which officials say was a murder for hire, according to the indictment.
The incidents illustrate “a small group of people responsible for violence in Hamilton,” Hamilton Police Chief Chief Craig Bucheit said. “That’s who we’re focused on moving forward.”
Both shootings are connected, Bucheit said, but how they are connected remains unclear.
Orlando Gilbert was injured in the Doubles Bar shooting and was killed, along with Todd Berus, days later in the Central Avenue shooting.
Michael Grevious II faces charges in the Doubles Bar shooting and in the Aug. 3 drive-by shooting.
Mondale Goens was arrested at the scene of the Doubles Bar shooting for allegedly shooting his brother, but he was not indicted for murder. Information from witnesses, as well as physical evidence, determined he did not fire the shots that killed his brother, according to officials.
Goens is now facing charges of felonious assault.
Cornell McKennelly has been indicted for murder in the death of Kalif Goens at Doubles Bar.
All defendants are facing enhanced charges for allegedly using guns in the crimes. A gun specification attached to a charge means an additional three- or five-year prison sentence will be added if found guilty.
The charges
Charged in the Central Avenue shooting are:
- Zachary Harris, 24, of Columbus: Two counts of aggravated murder with a death penalty specification alleging the crimes were for hire, with specifications that a gun was used in the crime and a classification as a repeat violent offender, and having weapons under disability.
- Melinda Ann Gibby, 35, of Lancaster: Two counts of aggravated murder with a death penalty specification alleging the crimes were for hire and with a specification that a gun was used in the crime.
- Tony Patete, 23, of Newark: Two counts of aggravated murder with a death penalty specification alleging the crimes were for hire and with a specification that a gun was used in the crime.
- Michael Grevious II, 23, of Maple Ave., Hamilton: One count of aggravated murder with a death penalty specification alleging the crime was for hire and with specifications that a gun was used in the crime and classifying him as a repeat violent offender.
Charged in the Doubles Bar shooting are:
- Mondale Goens, 21, of Maple Ave., Hamilton: Two counts of felonious assault with specifications that a gun was used in the crime.
- Cornell McKennelly II, 37, of Franklin St., Hamilton: One count of murder with specification that a gun was used in the crime and having weapons under disability.
- Rodrick Curtis, North 7th Street, Hamilton: Felonious assault with the specification that a gun was used in the crime and having weapons under disability.
- Michael Grevious II, 23, of Maple Ave., Hamilton: Felonious assault with a specification that a gun was used in the crime and the classification of a repeat violent offender, and having weapons under disability.
- Cory Cook II, 23, 9th Street, Hamilton: Felonious assault with the specification that a gun was used in the crime.
All those indicted are in the Butler County Jail, with some being arrested just minutes before the indictment was released, according to police.
The hold out was Cook, who turned himself in to police during their open house at police headquarters Thursday evening.