Dameon Hogan

A quiet Easter Sunday in Colerain Township, a sprawling suburb of Cincinnati, was shattered by the violence that ended the life of 16-year-old Dameon Hogan. The African American teenager, known to some as "Dae dae," was described as having a laid-back personality. He had been a student at Mt. Healthy High School. The events that led to his death on April 9, 2023, unfolded across a little over a mile, leaving a community in shock and a family grappling with a sudden, devastating loss.

The afternoon was waning, around 3:45 p.m., as families in the area were likely still celebrating the holiday, some with children on Easter egg hunts. It was then that the first reports of trouble crackled over 911 dispatch. Callers near a shopping plaza at the intersection of Pippin and Compton Roads reported hearing multiple gunshots. One witness saw a black car speeding away from the scene, heading toward the neighboring community of Mount Healthy. The initial scene of the shooting was a commercial strip, a place of everyday errands, that in an instant became a crime scene.

From there, the chaotic situation moved south. A car, carrying the gravely wounded Dameon Hogan, traveled roughly a mile and a half before stopping in the parking lot of a Pit Stop convenience store at the corner of Pippin and Galbraith Roads. Desperate screams for someone to call the police were heard by people who were at the gas station. Someone inside the car with Dameon also made a frantic call for help, telling the dispatcher they were driving and that their friend had been shot. By the time Colerain Township police officers arrived at the convenience store, it was too late. Dameon Hogan died from his injuries there in the parking lot.

The investigation into Dameon's death was immediately launched by the Colerain Township Police Department. Their Criminal Investigative Unit, a team of seven detectives and a supervisor, took the lead on the homicide case. Investigators confirmed that the two locations were connected, but the specifics of what transpired remained unclear. A police sergeant at the scene described a lot of emotion among the people who had gathered, though it was difficult to determine who was involved and who was a bystander. The police department publicly asked for anyone with information to call them, a plea for help in solving the violent end to a young life.

In the days, weeks, and months that followed, the investigation into the death of Dameon Hogan has continued. However, no suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been announced. The case remains an open and ongoing homicide investigation. Dameon's father was reportedly too heartbroken to make a statement in the immediate aftermath of his son's death. The community was left with questions and concerns about the violence that had so abruptly stolen a teenager's life on a holiday afternoon. The story of Dameon Hogan's death is one of a life cut short, a chaotic and tragic event that unfolded in public spaces, and a case that is still waiting for answers and for justice.