Health
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Cleveland Declares Gun Violence Public Health Crisis
## Cleveland Declares Gun Violence a Public Health Crisis Amidst Recent Shootings
Cleveland City Council declared gun violence a public health crisis following a violent weekend that included multiple shootings. The declaration, announced at a news conference before a Monday council meeting, will be formalized through a resolution introduced and voted on during that session. Councilman Richard Starr emphasized the need to address the root causes of the problem, while Council President Blaine Griffin acknowledged that while the initiative isn't new, renewed leadership and corporate partnerships aim to make a difference.
The urgency of the declaration is underscored by several recent incidents. A woman on Cleveland’s East Side reported hearing numerous gunshots – possibly as many as 50 – near a party at a vacation rental on Talford Avenue. A doorbell camera captured the incident, and police later confirmed a 17-year-old girl was hospitalized with a gunshot wound. This followed a shooting of a man in his 30s on East 116th Street near Union Avenue and the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old on Portage Avenue near Broadway Avenue, earlier in the weekend. A separate incident, reported by 19 News, details the murder of 18-year-old Onyx Torres Colon and the wounding of another individual in a double shooting in Slavic Village on April 25th. Colon was found dead in a driveway on Portage Avenue.
Myesha Watkins of the Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance, who joined council members in the declaration, stressed the need to hold individuals accountable and address the underlying issues driving the violence. Councilman Starr echoed this, stating the need to address root causes and secure necessary resources. Council President Griffin anticipates an increase in violence during the upcoming summer months, citing the end of the school year and warmer weather. Residents, like the woman on Talford Avenue, express frustration and demand greater action to curb the violence plaguing their neighborhoods. A second resolution to be introduced at Monday’s meeting designates the first week of May as Gun Violence Survivors Week.
Cleveland City Council declared gun violence a public health crisis following a violent weekend that included multiple shootings. The declaration, announced at a news conference before a Monday council meeting, will be formalized through a resolution introduced and voted on during that session. Councilman Richard Starr emphasized the need to address the root causes of the problem, while Council President Blaine Griffin acknowledged that while the initiative isn't new, renewed leadership and corporate partnerships aim to make a difference.
The urgency of the declaration is underscored by several recent incidents. A woman on Cleveland’s East Side reported hearing numerous gunshots – possibly as many as 50 – near a party at a vacation rental on Talford Avenue. A doorbell camera captured the incident, and police later confirmed a 17-year-old girl was hospitalized with a gunshot wound. This followed a shooting of a man in his 30s on East 116th Street near Union Avenue and the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old on Portage Avenue near Broadway Avenue, earlier in the weekend. A separate incident, reported by 19 News, details the murder of 18-year-old Onyx Torres Colon and the wounding of another individual in a double shooting in Slavic Village on April 25th. Colon was found dead in a driveway on Portage Avenue.
Myesha Watkins of the Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance, who joined council members in the declaration, stressed the need to hold individuals accountable and address the underlying issues driving the violence. Councilman Starr echoed this, stating the need to address root causes and secure necessary resources. Council President Griffin anticipates an increase in violence during the upcoming summer months, citing the end of the school year and warmer weather. Residents, like the woman on Talford Avenue, express frustration and demand greater action to curb the violence plaguing their neighborhoods. A second resolution to be introduced at Monday’s meeting designates the first week of May as Gun Violence Survivors Week.
