On September 17, 2024, a tragic incident occurred at the La Quinta Inn on Springfield Pike in Springdale, a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. Umedjon Rustamjon Mavlonkulov, a 27-year-old night manager at the hotel, was fatally shot in the lobby shortly before 7:20 AM.
According to police reports, the suspect, identified as 28-year-old De'Sean McKinley Buckner, approached the front desk and engaged in a brief conversation with Mavlonkulov.
Buckner then allegedly pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and shot Mavlonkulov multiple times. The entire incident was captured on the hotel's surveillance cameras.
Springdale police officers responded to reports of shots fired at approximately 7:19 AM. Upon arrival, they found Mavlonkulov deceased behind the front desk. Buckner had already fled the scene in a dark-colored 2024 Mazda CX-30, heading eastbound on Crescentville Road.
The investigation revealed that Buckner had been staying at the La Quinta Inn from September 13 to September 18. The vehicle he used to escape was a rental from Jake Sweeney Mazda, which he had obtained on September 12 while his personal vehicle was being serviced.
Law enforcement efforts to locate Buckner intensified, with authorities using Flock license plate readers to track his movements. Initially, the vehicle was detected near Buckner's home in Madisonville. However, police later traced his whereabouts to Columbus, Ohio.
Less than 24 hours after the shooting, on September 18, 2024, at approximately 9:10 PM, Columbus police successfully apprehended Buckner without incident. He was taken into custody and held at the Franklin County Justice Center, awaiting extradition to Hamilton County.
Buckner has been charged with aggravated murder in connection with Mavlonkulov's death. As of the latest reports, no court hearings had been scheduled for Buckner's case, and authorities had not disclosed any information regarding the motive behind the shooting.
The Springdale Police Department continues to investigate the incident and has urged anyone with information to contact them at 513-346-5760 or to call Crimestoppers at 513-352-3040.
