A 21-year-old Ohio man has been arrested for the murder of a Taco Bell manager in Cincinnati, just one day after he was fired from his job. Jonathan Morris is accused of gunning down 32-year-old Ryan Johnson outside the fast food restaurant on Gest Road in Queensgate shortly after midnight on August 29.
According to prosecutors, Morris was dismissed from his position at the Taco Bell the day before the shooting. Cincinnati police found Johnson lying in the parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite efforts to save him, Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene.
Assistant Prosecutor David Hickenlooper described the killing as “senseless,” adding that Johnson was likely trying to help Morris when he was shot. “We believe he was only trying to help [Morris],” Hickenlooper said in court. During the hearing, the victim’s grandmother addressed the judge, expressing the family’s grief and outrage.
“He killed my grandson. He doesn’t need to be out,” she said, urging the court to deny bond for Morris. Morris’ public defender argued that his client and his family were unable to pay for the bond. He also mentioned that Morris had a clean criminal record, with only one prior court contact, in which he was acquitted. Additionally, Morris cares for his 1-year-old son and lives with his father.
Despite these claims, a Cincinnati police detective testified that the authorities had searched for Morris for weeks before eventually capturing him. The judge, Tyrone Yates, set Morris’s bond at $500,000, with the stipulation that if released, he would be placed under 24/7 house arrest with electronic monitoring.
After the hearing, Judge Yates, who is a former Cincinnati City Councilman, explained to FOX19 NOW that judges, not prosecutors, are responsible for determining bail amounts. “It is important to examine all of the facts and circumstances of every case in making a bond or bail decision,” he said. Morris is currently in custody, facing charges for the fatal shooting of Ryan Johnson.