Brandon Lamar Rice, a 33-year-old Black / African American male from Covington, Kentucky, was caught in the violence that erupted at the City Heights Housing Complex on Welsh Drive in June 2017. What began as a warm evening around the apartments turned into a chaotic shootout, with neighbors describing dozens of gunshots ringing through the complex.
Police said officers heard gunfire near the area just before midnight and responded to the 600 block of Welsh Drive as reports came in that multiple people had been shot.
Rice was one of three people struck by gunfire. The others were 31-year-old Anton Canady and a 4-year-old boy. Canady was treated and released from the hospital, while the child was taken for care and was reported to be in stable condition. Rice was the most seriously wounded. He was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries on Sunday, June 11, 2017, according to reports that cited the Hamilton County Coroner.
Early accounts described the shooting as a confusing and dangerous exchange of gunfire at the apartment complex. Witnesses and neighbors said bullets were flying while people were outside, and one account described the scene as sounding like a war zone. Police had not immediately released a complete official explanation of how the shooting unfolded, but reports said investigators were looking at an earlier confrontation and gunfire involving people connected to the scene. One report said a vehicle had been hit by bullets earlier that evening, and that tensions continued when the vehicle’s owner returned to the area.
Police quickly identified and arrested two men in connection with the shooting. Elmer T. Rice, 57, was arrested and charged with wanton endangerment, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, and tampering with physical evidence. Anton Canady, 31, who was also wounded in the shooting, was charged with wanton endangerment and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon after he was treated and released from the hospital. Reports noted that Elmer Rice shared the same last name as Brandon Rice, though they did not clearly establish their relationship.
The case left behind a scene marked by panic, injuries, and unanswered questions. A child survived after being caught in the crossfire, Canady survived and faced charges, and Brandon Rice’s injuries turned fatal days after the shooting. Public reports identified arrests and initial charges tied to the gunfire, but they did not provide a clear later account of trial outcomes, convictions, or final case dispositions for the suspects.
