Noah Steven Clifton
Noah Steven Clifton, 24, of Georgetown, was indicted on charges of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, and felonious assault by a Brown County grand jury on Oct. 5 in relation to a shooting that occured Sept. 20 on Wahlsburg East Road outside of Georgetown.
Clifton was indicted on one count of aggravated murder (unidentified felony), one count of murder (unidentified felony), two counts of attempted aggravated murder (first degree felonies), two counts of attempted murder (first degree felonies), and two counts of felonious assault (second degree felonies).
According to court documents, Clifton allegedly “with prior calculation and design” caused the death of Ralph Athur Neff.
It was on Sept. 20 when 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 so, 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 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.
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.
According to the most recent update received, Margaret Neff was being treated at U.C. Hospital.
Zachary Neff was released from U.C. Hospital after being treated for a gunshot wound suffered in this incident, according to Brown County Sheriff Gordon Ellis.
The 911 calls made to the Brown County Communications Center were released following the shooting.
“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.