Homicide Victim Identified

Update: A warrant has been issued for the alleged shooter of Mr. Aufrance. The suspected shooter is Zachariah Hassell, who just turned 15 on June 2, should be considered armed and dangerous, police said this morning.

Zachariah, whose nickname is Little Zach, is known to frequent the area of the 100 block of E. McMicken. His last known address is in the 2100 block of Freeman Avenue. Isn't this crazy? A fifteen year old shooting people on the street at 5:30 in the afternoon!


This is a recent headline from local section of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Another African American male, Michael Aufrance, was shot in the head twice and later died at a local hospital. His companion was shot as well. It was a tragic event repeated over and over again on our streets and throughout the cities of all sizes in the USA.

This shooting was only about 4 blocks from my house. At night time when I have my windows open, I hear many sounds of the city from car backfires to ambulance sirens. I have become familiar with the sound of gunshots. They have a distinct pop, pop, pop sound. A week or so ago, I was shaken out of my slumber by 3 pops. That morning I learned an individual was shot not far from my home.

I drive that street, McMicken Ave., to and from my office practically everyday. The shooting occurred at 5:30 in the afternoon about same time I drive home. I missed the shooting because I came home early to walk the dog before going to the Y to workout.

On same street a few years ago, a colleague of mine had to stop in the middle of the street because another driver in front of him was making a drug buy. One of the dealers or lookouts came up to his passenger side and in the little crack of the window bent over and said, "Thank you for being so patient." Good customer service never grows out of fashion!

The article went on to provide a criminal rap sheet for Mr. Aufrance that includes "convictions for possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal trespass, according to court records." Needless to say, the victim was not a boy scout or an innocent bystander. The shooter clearly wanted him dead. And he succeeded. I took a quick look at his various records in the Municipal and Common Pleas Courts. It really was an extensive rap sheet. No violent crime but mostly, possession, theft, receiving stolen property, etc. It extended over 10 years.

A former neighbor of mine was over at our house the other night for dinner. She is from an extended African American family with deep roots in Cincinnati. In her vernacular, Mr. Aufrance was "given up to the streets along time ago." I think what she meant was that he was a drug addict who hustled for cash through dealing, stealing or other low level criminal activity.

At first glance, this is just another gun-related murder that most of us will forget about tomorrow. There just are too many. Who really cares? Mr. Aufrance was a crack-addled druggie with a long history of criminal activity. He was "lost to the streets." He was nobody. I tried to find a street address or phone number for Mr. Aufrance to no avail. I did find his father's name and address. His father lives in a town 120 miles north of Cincinnati and he is 81 years old. Apparently, Michael Aufrance is somebody to someone.

I'm not sure how to react to Mr. Aufrance's pathetic ending. The only thing that separates his death from others that occur in the same manner is that his murder happened on a very familiar street so close to where I live. Most of the time my eyes glaze over when I read about another young male that was found shot to death at 4 AM in parking lot somewhere in the city.

I really do not want to get preachy or expose my softheaded, liberal tendencies. Michael Aufrance, his murderer, his father, his companion, the police investigators, and the reporters covering this crime, me, you and most of Cincinnati are all victims of this tragic event. There is collateral damage. The constant drip, drip, drip of gun-related violence makes all of us more cynical, more prejudice, and more accepting of these kinds of crimes. I have no answers. I only have questions.

As I drove home last evening, I took a quick glance at the crime scene. There was no evidence or reminder of the murder. The yellow crime tape was gone. Kids were out playing on the same sidewalk where Mr. Aufrance was murdered.

Fortunately, it is very hot in Cincinnati. Tonight I will have my air conditioning turned on and the windows closed. If another Michael Aufrance is murdered, I will not hear it.