HAMILTON, Ohio — A week after Hamilton Police responded to a report of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the victim’s father is calling for answers from investigators, our news partners at WCPO in Cincinnati reported.
Dan Lovins said Hamilton police called him to the department to pick up his 5-month-old grandson after the shooting.
He had to race to a Dayton area hospital to find his daughter, Danielle, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
“They said she wasn’t going to survive this. We are keeping her alive right now,” Lovins said. “I walked inside the room, I leaned over, I kissed her on the forehead, told her I loved her, and she died right there. Like, immediately.”
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Lovins said he hasn’t had much time to grieve as he said he turned to care for his grandchild and his other kids. Still, he hasn’t stopped thinking about the loss of his daughter.
“It is somewhere between the line of anger and sadness that I could never imagine that you could be calm,” Lovins said. “I’m passionate about this because I loved her.”
According to police records obtained by WCPO, “attempted suicide” is listed on the victim report and an officer said that a 911 caller reported a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Lovins rejected the idea outright.
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“There is no suicide here. This is not a suicide. My daughter would not have done this,” Lovins said.
Lovins said his daughter was planning to go to school and was focused on raising her son.
A preliminary report from the Montgomery County Coroner’s office said the cause and manner of death had not been determined, and a representative with the officer said it could be another seven weeks before a full autopsy report was available for release.
Hamilton Police said their detectives were still investigating Danielle’s death.