Coroner's office: Cameo victim died of single gunshot wound to chest

The manager of Cameo nightclub where 17 people were shot -- one of them fatally -- early Sunday morning has voluntarily surrendered his liquor permits and will close the club.

The closure announcement comes as Cincinnati police continue to investigate who fired the shots and after the Ohio Investigative Unit, which handles the law-enforcement portion of liquor licensing, handed down several violations and citations. The investigative unit acted after touring the club once it was cleared by police Sunday.

Adam Johnson, the investigative unit’s agent in charge for the Cincinnati district office, said those violations included the presence of marijuana at the bar, in employee areas and in plain sight in the club. Also, the inspection uncovered mold in some of the beer coolers (and some on bottles) as well as fruit flies and gnats in some of the liquor bottles. 

It’s up to the state Ohio Liquor Commission to determine whether the violations should stand and if punishment is warranted. The club owners were also cited in 2015 for the presence of marijuana and served a five-day suspension in lieu of a $500 fine.

The club was licensed to serve beer, wine and liquor past the normal 1 a.m. time until 2:30 a.m., as well as being able to serve until midnight on Sundays. All licenses were current and were up for renewal on June 1.

If club manager Julian Rodgers wants to operate a club again he'll have to apply for a new liquor permit, a process that can take months. He initially said the club will remain closed until the police investigation is complete. Late Monday, Rodgers released a statement saying the club will close Friday.

Rodgers' statement indicated that the owner of the property that the club sits on at 4601 Kellogg avenue had asked that it be vacated. Rodgers said the club was in the process of moving out of the building by May 31 in anticipation of the property being sold but would now do so by Friday.

The Cameo property was last sold in 2005 for $1.2 million, according to Hamilton County property records.

City officials briefed council members Monday morning at the Law and Public Safety Committee meeting about the shooting. Cincinnati police had previously said 16 people had been shot. At the meeting, officials learned a man came forward Sunday night to say he was among those hit in the flurry of bullets, bringing the total number of victims to 17.

Among them: 27-year-old O'Bryan Spikes, who died from a single gunshot wound to the chest, according to Hamilton County Coroner Chief Administrator Andrea Hatten.

The newly discovered victim means the Sunday shooting ties with a November 2015 shooting in New Orleans as the 10th worst mass shooting in the United States since 2013.

"I am confident we will find the people who are responsible," Police Chief Eliot Isaac said.

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What else Isaac revealed:

• Five people remain hospitalized, two in critical condition. 
• The police department does not have video surveillance of the actual shooting.
• The department is working around the clock to learn what happened but said the department is not "actively looking" for specific suspects.
• The police department's vice squad is working with the club manager, Rodgers. Rodgers said in a statement Sunday Cameo will remain closed until the police investigation is complete.

Isaac's comments on the video surveillance slightly counter comments Rodgers made to WLWT Sunday, in which he said there were 15 to 20 security guards inside the club and camera systems "in place." It's unclear if the security cameras missed the shooting or if the footage had not been handed over to authorities.

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Isaac, along with Fire Chief Richard Braun and City Manager Harry Black, updated council about what happened, reiterating several details shared in a Sunday news conference.

But many questions remain. Police haven't released the names of the victims other than Spikes. They haven't explained the motive for the shooting, other than to say it was a fight between two groups. And they haven't said if they know who fired the shots.

Isaac told council members two groups of people were arguing much of Saturday and into Sunday with the fight ultimately escalating into a shooting inside the club. That night four off-duty Cincinnati police officers were working a detail in the parking lot when the shooting broke out at 1:30 a.m. The officers were in uniform and at least one police vehicle was at the location.

According to Rodgers' emailed statement, two of the uniformed officers were stationed at the door and could observe security procedures. He refuted witness accounts that security procedures were skipped.

"There have been untrue reports that certain patrons were allowed to enter the Club without passing through security.  This was not permitted," Rodgers said.

More than 20 shots were fired, Isaac said. There were at least two shooters, he added.

"We're gathering information," Isaac said. And that included talking to those wounded, who were the closest to what happened.

There were approximately 200 people inside the club, who fled when shots rang out. That made it difficult for first responders, Fire Chief Richard Braun said.

"From chaos, we have to bring a semblance of normalcy," Braun said. "This is something we train for."

The paramedics had to triage patients, making a decision about who needed the most immediate medical attention.

"It saved lives," Braun said.

Councilman Christopher Smitherman, who heads the committee, started with a moment of silent prayer for the victims.

Council members praised the first responders.

"First responders did a miraculous job," Smitherman said.

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"No question the whole world is looking at us and expressing their concern for us," Mayor John Cranley said.

City officials said the club has two prior shootings, both from 2015.

Enquirer reporter Terry DeMio contributed to this report.