In the early hours of Sunday, March 22, 2026, the life of 15-year-old Nazir Owens was tragically cut short in the North Avondale neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. The Black male teenager was discovered with a gunshot wound around midnight in the 800 block of Glenwood Avenue. Cincinnati Police officers responded to reports of a shooting and found Owens, but he was pronounced dead at the scene by the Cincinnati Fire Department.
The shooting is being investigated by the Cincinnati Police Department's Homicide Unit.
Further details revealed a poignant backstory to the young man's death. Nazir Owens had been listed on the Ohio Attorney General's missing persons website since August of 2024, when he was just 13 years old. It remains unclear whether he was still considered missing at the time of his death, as law enforcement agencies are responsible for updating the database. There was some indication that despite being listed as missing, he may have been in contact with his family and was reportedly enrolled in school.
As of now, the investigation into Nazir Owens's death is ongoing, and no suspects have been publicly identified or arrested. Authorities have not released a motive for the shooting. Law enforcement officials have asked that anyone with information regarding the shooting contact the Cincinnati Police Department at 513-352-3542. The community is seeking answers in the murder of the teenager who was once a missing child.
