20-year-old killed at downtown lounge was trying to get the shooter out, family says

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CINCINNATI (WXIX) - Cincinnati police are still looking for a suspect in the shooting that left a 20-year-old dead at Memories Lounge in downtown Sunday.

Police identified the victim as Kameiro Blair-Martin . Relatives said he worked at the lounge and went by Shon.

In a Facebook statement , Memories called Blair-Martin a motivated, hard worker and musician who lit up every room he walked into.

“He was fun, he was goofy. He always could laugh and he always would be just fun,” his cousin Tiona Campbell said.

Blair-Martin’s family said he was trying to get the shooter out of the establishment when he was shot.

“He just was here, he wanted to do his job. That’s it,” his cousin Charise Parson said.

Officers responded to gunfire at the lounge around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1. The shooting happened inside the establishment, located on East 7th Street.

Denorver Garrett Jr., a witness who also works security at Memories, was at the lounge off the clock. He said an altercation broke out not long before the shooting.

“It shouldn’t have happened and I just pray and hope that going forward promoters and club owners don’t allow people to just come in. Search everybody, that’s how you keep the club safe,” Garrett told FOX19 NOW.

Garrett said heavy security was present at the lounge Saturday night into Sunday.

Asked how many security officers are typically at Memories on a Saturday night, Garrett said between 15 and 20, “but majority of them be outside.”

City officials said they are looking into ways to make sure all nightlife in Cincinnati maintains a safe environment for patrons.

“We need to be super clear, it’s not who owns the business it is behavior that we’re after,” Cincinnati City Council Member Mark Jeffreys said. “If people are repeatedly going to any kind of a nightclub and shooting or causing any kind of violence then we need to hold those who own that club if they’re not providing proper security accountable. Obviously they can’t control everything that everyone in their club does, but this is a repeat offender so I think when we come back we have to figure out how to expedite measures to make sure we address this specific case.”

Cincinnati police are urging anyone who was inside Memories Lounge or who has information about what happened to call the department’s Homicide Unit directly at (513) 352-3542.

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