Clifton charged with murder in relation to shooting on Wahlsburg East

Noah Steven Clifton, 24, has been charged with murder and felonious assault in relation to a shooting that left one man dead and two others wounded on the evening of Sept. 20 in Brown County.

Clifton was taken into custody by police at the scene and is held being held on $1,000,000 bond at Brown County Jail.

Police responded to 5612 Wahlsburg East Road in Brown County after receiving a report of an active shooter.

The first arriving at the scene was a Georgetown police officer who identified Clifton as the suspect in the shooting. Clifton was just outside the residence near a running vehicle when police arrived. When he was ordered by police to step away from the vehicle, he did, and was taken into custody without incident, according to information provided by Brown County Sheriff Gordon Ellis.

The Georgetown patrol officer and a Brown County Sheriff deputy made entry to the home and found two subjects who were suffering from gunshot wounds. A male subject, later identified as Ralph Neff Sr., 81, was found to have suffered a gunshot wound to the head and had died as a result of this wound.

A female subject, later identified as Margaret Neff, 76, had suffered gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen. She was transported from the scene via Air-Care. A male subject, later identified as Zachary Neff, 30, was located at an adjacent residence. He suffered a gunshot wound to the face and was transported from the scene via Air-Care.

Noah Clifton is the grandson of Ralph and Margaret Neff, and Zachary Neff is his cousin.

According to the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, Clifton is charged with two counts of attempted murder in addition to the murder charge.

Investigation into this incident revealed that Ralph Neff Sr., Margaret Neff and Zachary Neff were in the residence when Noah Clifton entered the room where the victims were located and shot all three with a .380 caliber handgun.

Margaret Neff is currently still at U.C. Hospital being treated for gunshot wounds sustained as a result of this incident. Her condition is listed as stable but critical. She is awake and able to speak, according to information provided by Brown County Sheriff Gordon Ellis.

Zachary Neff was released from U.C. Hospital after being treated for a gunshot wound suffered in this incident, according to Ellis.

Recent news reports stated that Clifton displayed erratic behavior after taken to Brown County Jail.

The 911 calls made to the Brown County Communications Center have been released.

“My cousin shot me and my grandparents,” Zachary Neff told dispatchers in a call to 911 that night. “I’m shot in the face, my grandma is on the ground, I don’t know if she’s responsive or not.”

Zachary Neff said in the 911 call that Clifton was schizophrenic and he had no idea how his cousin got a gun.

He said Clifton had taken everyone’s cell phones, and he ran to his father’s home next door to call for help.

“My head’s pounding, my heart’s pounding, I’m shot in the face. I’ve lost a lot of blood too, I’m getting faint,” he said.

Zachary Neff said in the 911 call he made that Clifton was sitting on the trunk of his car and smiling after the shooting.

“He’s sitting on the trunk of his car, just smiling,” he said.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing.

The Brown County Sheriff’s Office appreciates the assistance in this investigation provided by the Georgetown Police Department, Mount Orab Police Department, Ohio Highway Patrol, the Brown County Coroner’s Office and the Brown County Dispatch Center.