CLEARCREEK TOWNSHIP, OH — An Ohio woman was sentenced to 16 to 20 years in prison last week after opening fire on a house where her estranged husband and new boyfriend were partying together, accidentally shooting an innocent bystander.
Olivia Clendenin was convicted in early February of attempted murder and other charges related to the January 2024 shooting in Warren County. A jury found her guilty of four charges including two counts of felonious assault, discharging a firearm into a home, and attempted murder after she drove through a front yard and fired shots toward the house during a New Year’s Eve party. The case highlighted an unusual love triangle that turned violent when Clendenin became enraged over her estranged husband’s friendship with her current boyfriend.
The shooting occurred around 5 a.m. on New Year’s Day 2024 after Clendenin had attended the same house party earlier in the evening. According to police, she became upset when she spotted her estranged husband and new boyfriend hanging out together at the party and left angrily. She later returned driving her mother’s 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee and opened fire on the home on the 5500 block of Dearth Road. “She drove through the front yard and fired shots toward the house,” a Clearcreek Township police sergeant told reporters after the shooting, according to the Dayton Daily News.
Daniel Johnson, a 29-year-old man who was standing on the porch, was struck in the abdomen by gunfire. Johnson, who spoke at Clendenin’s sentencing hearing on Thursday, said he was an innocent victim caught in the crossfire. “I had been invited over and was sitting on the porch minding my business,” Johnson testified. “The defendant was attempting to shoot at someone else, and I was the one who ended up being shot. In that moment, my life changed for reasons that have nothing to do with me.” Johnson’s testimony provided crucial evidence about how Clendenin’s actions affected an uninvolved party who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
After the shooting, Clendenin crashed her mother’s vehicle while attempting to flee the scene. Police said she struck a guardrail and a utility pole while going around a curve. Clearcreek Township police arrested Clendenin at the crash scene, where she pleaded not guilty to the charges. She was initially released after posting bail and placed on electronic home detention with a no-contact order in effect for witnesses involved in her case. The Warren County jury ultimately rejected her not guilty plea and convicted her on all four charges in February.
Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell emphasized the severity of Clendenin’s actions in announcing the sentence. “Clendenin may have started 2025 as a free person, but will spend the rest of 2026 and at a minimum the decade thereafter incarcerated for attempted murder at least one of her romantic interests — albeit striking and almost killing an innocent victim,” Fornshell told local Fox affiliate WXIX in a statement. The prosecutor’s remarks highlighted how Clendenin’s personal disputes led to serious consequences for an uninvolved party.
During her sentencing hearing, Clendenin addressed the court and expressed concern for those affected by her actions. “I would just like to say that I care deeply about my family, my friends, my business and those who rely on me in this world,” Clendenin said. “To Daniel, I am very, very glad that he is well after a difficult time he has been through, and I truly hope that he has a great future and I wish him nothing but the best in his future.” Her statement came after Johnson’s emotional testimony about how the shooting changed his life despite having no connection to the underlying dispute.
The case stands as an example of how domestic disputes can escalate into violence affecting innocent bystanders. Clendenin will serve her sentence in state prison, with the possibility of parole after 16 years. Johnson has recovered from his injuries but testified about the lasting impact the shooting has had on his life.
