Sheriff: ‘Strong person of interest’ in killing of Ohio Dominican football player

Detectives have identified a juvenile as a “very strong person of interest” in the fatal shooting of Jonte Tinsley, an 18-year-old Ohio Dominican football player, early Sunday in Harrison Twp., Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck said Monday afternoon.

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The latest:

  • Tinsley was at a Sweet 16 party on Daleview Avenue when he was shot
  • His brother drove him from the scene and flagged down a state trooper
  • Tinsley died at Grandview Medical Center, the coroner said
  • A man with whom Tinsley scuffled at the party is not thought to be the suspect
  • Tinsley was a defensive back at Ohio Dominican in Columbus

FULL REPORT

“We have a very strong person of interest, that’s a juvenile” in the early Sunday shooting that left Jonte Tinsley, 18, dead, Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck said.

No arrest had been made by late Monday afternoon.

The shooting reportedly occurred about 1 a.m. at a Sweet 16 party, in the 4100 block of Daleview Avenue. Tinsley’s brother, JeJuan, told News Center 7’s Mike Campbell he drove his brother from the scene and flagged down a state trooper on the way to help get his brother to a hospital.

Jonte Tinsley, hit in the neck by the gunfire, died at Grandview Medical Center, Montgomery County Coroner Kent Harshbarger said.

Streck said investigators estimate there were 80 to 100 people at the house party. The victim apparently scuffled with a man at the party, the sheriff said, but detectives do not believe that man shot Jonte Tinsley.

Detectives interviewed several people who were at the party, the sheriff said.

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Jonte’s mother said he, his twin sister and older brother JeJuan had secured two jobs this summer to buy a car to return to school.

JeJuan said Jonte had just completed his freshman year at Ohio Dominican University in Columbus, a year that included his playing football as he had done at Meadowdale High School.

Jonte was a graduate of Dayton Early College Academy (DECA).

He was named first team All-Southern Ohio Public League selection, had 565 receiving yards and five touchdowns, made 70 tackles with four interceptions and returned a kickoff for a touchdown, according to Ohio Dominican.

According to county regional dispatch, a resident called police early Sunday to report hearing several gunshots and screaming in the area of Daleview Avenue. The caller also reported a large group of people at Daleview and East Melford Avenue.

Not long after that call, state troopers on regular patrol in the area of Santa Clara Avenue found a gunshot victim believed to have been connected to the shots fired call from Daleview. That person was identified later as Jonte Tinsley.

We will update this story as we learn more.

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