Just in: A shooting at the opera
NewsMessage from Cincinnati Opera:
As you may be aware, there was a police incident outside Music Hall on Thursday, June 27, just as our opening night performance of La Traviata (pic) was about to begin.
Police Chief Teresa Theetge offered a public statement that police officers had been in pursuit of a suspect accused of attacking a woman in a neighborhood west of downtown. The chase ended near Music Hall, where the armed suspect was shot by police. The suspect died at the scene.
More information is available here: https://www.wvxu.org/local-news/2024-06-27/police-kill-man-outside-music-hall-after-he-reportedly-pointed-a-gun-at-officers.
We’re grateful to the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD) for their quick response in ensuring the community’s safety. We’re also thankful that no Cincinnati Opera or Music Hall patrons or personnel were involved in the incident.
To those patrons who were unable to enter Music Hall at the beginning of the performance, we would like to offer you tickets to one of our two remaining performances of La Traviata (tonight and Sunday). If you haven’t already, please contact the Box Office at 513-241-2742.
And to those patrons who were affected by the delayed departure from Music Hall at the conclusion of the performance, we offer our sincere gratitude for your extraordinary patience and flexibility.
Some operagoers repport hearing the gunfire and feeling trapped and confused.
After the Bataclan, hearing shots might well scare anyone in any venue.
Sounds as if it was well handled with minimum inconvenience to those not involved.
Sounded like the shooter was an opera fan running and dying to see “La Traviata”. Addio del passato…
I’m sure that the NRA will, as ever, be offering their thoughts and prayers.
‘Some operagoers repport hearing the gunfire and feeling trapped and confused.”
That’s because Music Hall violates their right under the Ohio Constitution and Senate Bill No. 215, the “constitutional carry” law allowing any qualifying adult over 21 to conceal a handgun without needing permits, training, or background checks.
However, at the opera “Guests are not permitted to bring the following items into Music Hall and the Aronoff Center: … Weapons of any kind including, but not limited to: firearms”
If every good citizen of Ohio exercised their constitutional right, this chain of event would not have occurred: the woman victim would’ve shot the suspect dead far from the opera, failing that, witnesses would’ve him dead, failing that, upon hearing the gunshots just outside, every member of the audience, the orchestra, the chorus, the cast would’ve pulled out their concealed handguns and peacefully continued to enjoy the opera knowing full well they are safe and sound.
What a way to live.
You get what you vote for.
Having spent more time in Music Hall than I care to remember (a glorious and beautiful space, I have to admit), it is a shame that it is in one of the diciest areas of Cincinnati.
Not a surprising report.
You get what you vote for.
“Every time I see Carmen in a gorilla suit I reach for my revolver” – Herman Goering