James Maurice Hicks was 43 when he was found shot to death inside his South Fairmount apartment in Cincinnati on the morning of Monday, June 12, 2023. A family member who called police requesting a welfare check reportedly had knowledge of a shooting; officers arrived just before noon and found Hicks with a single gunshot wound to the chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene, which was recorded as Cincinnati’s 28th homicide of 2023.

Information from the 911 call led investigators quickly to a suspect. A short time after Hicks was discovered, police arrested his 27-year-old stepson, Johntyn Kirkland, nearby. Community members said the shooting occurred during a dispute between the two men. Kirkland was charged with murder and with carrying a firearm while under a disability stemming from a prior aggravated robbery conviction; court records identify the gun as a Taurus GX4 9mm.

Hicks is described as a father figure to his stepson and was mourned by family, including a twin sister who attended the scene. Does anyone have additional information about Hicks, his family, or the circumstances that led to the June 12, 2023 shooting?