Justin Johnson, 34, was found slumped in the driver’s seat of a BMW at East Third and Sycamore streets in downtown Cincinnati just after 2 a.m. on Friday, October 17, 2025. Officers and paramedics attempted resuscitation but Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators said someone in another vehicle pulled alongside and opened fire before speeding away, leaving the scene surrounded by cruisers, evidence markers and broken glass.

Police announced the arrest of 50-year-old Robert Shaw later that day on a murder charge. Prosecutors told a judge the next morning that officers had used Shaw’s ankle-monitor data from the Hamilton County Probation Department’s electronic monitoring unit to place him at the scene; bond was set at $2 million. Reports referenced prior weapons cases for Shaw and noted he was on probation at the time. Authorities said they were still piecing together the moments before the shooting, including sightings of a car and a truck fleeing the intersection at high speed.

Crime Stoppers circulated a notice naming Johnson as the victim and urging anyone with information to contact detectives. Does anyone have information about what happened at East Third and Sycamore that night?