What happened yesterday at the Fifth Third Center on Fountain Square is something that no community should ever have to experience. Our condolences go out to the victims of this terrible tragedy, as well as their families and friends. We’d also like to express our deepest sympathies to the Fifth Third family. They have long served as corporate and civic leaders in their hometown of Cincinnati, and they’ve been one of the driving forces behind downtown’s revitalization over the past decade.

For generations, Cincinnatians have looked to the Square as the City’s main gathering space, and the epicenter of downtown. Yesterday, 3CDC cancelled all programming on Fountain Square, to both show respect for those who lost their lives and give the incredible Cincinnati Police Department the space it needed to complete its investigation.

Today at 4 PM, we will help Fifth Third honor and mourn the victims of this senseless act of violence, as the organization hosts a vigil for those who lost their lives and all who have been affected.

Following the vigil, we will continue our regular programming on the Square this weekend, featuring live music on both Friday and Saturday nights. Along with our partners and friends at Fifth Third, we believe that moving forward as a community is the best thing we can do.

The man who committed this heinous act sought to destroy, disrupt, and create chaos – to tear our community apart. On Friday and Saturday night, we will do our small part to start the healing process by bringing about some sense of normalcy. We will utilize Fountain Square as it was meant to be used: as a space to gather, commiserate and unify. We will celebrate what makes Cincinnati great – the ability to come together as one and show what it truly means to be #CincyStrong.