On January 16, 2025, 18-year-old African American male King Robert Ogburn was fatally shot while driving westbound on U.S. 35 near Steve Whalen Boulevard in Dayton, Ohio. The incident occurred shortly before 1 a.m., when a suspect vehicle pulled alongside Ogburn's car and opened fire. Ogburn sustained a gunshot wound to the chest and was transported to Miami Valley Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:43 a.m.
Two other individuals, one a passenger in Ogburn's vehicle and another in a separate car, were also injured in the shooting but are expected to recover.
Investigators believe the shooting was a targeted act rather than a random incident or road rage. Dayton Police Major Brian Johns stated that the suspect vehicle had to catch up to the victims' cars, indicating premeditation. Surveillance footage from the Ohio Department of Transportation and the City of Dayton is being reviewed, and authorities are seeking information from the public regarding the suspect vehicle's make, model, color, and license plate. As of now, no arrests have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing.
King Robert Ogburn's death marked Dayton's third homicide of 2025. His funeral services were held on January 31, 2025, at Thomas Funeral Home & Crematory in Dayton, Ohio. Friends and family remembered him as a young man whose life was tragically cut short.
