Justin Johnson, 34, was found just after 2 a.m. on Friday, October 17, 2025, slumped in the driver’s seat of a BMW at East Third and Sycamore streets in downtown Cincinnati. Officers and paramedics tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators said another vehicle had pulled alongside and someone inside opened fire before speeding away, leaving shards of glass and the car’s interior lit by strobes as the block around the In Between Tavern turned into a
taped-off maze of cruisers and evidence markers. His death was later noted in public memorial listings and an obituary confirming his age, city, and date of passing.
By later that day, police announced the arrest of 50-year-old Robert Shaw on a murder charge. In court the following morning, a judge set his bond at $2 million as prosecutors outlined how officers, working with the Hamilton County Probation Department’s electronic monitoring unit, used Shaw’s ankle-monitor data to help place him at the scene. Records referenced by reporters also noted prior weapons cases for Shaw and that he was on probation at the time. He remained in the county justice center, with a return to court scheduled to advance the case to a grand jury.
Authorities said they were still piecing together the moments before the shooting, including reports that a car and a truck were seen fleeing the intersection at high speed. Crime Stoppers circulated a notice naming Johnson as the victim and marking the time and block of the shooting as part of their call for tips. Anyone with information was urged to contact detectives as the homicide investigation continued through the weekend following the downtown gunfire.
