After mass shooting, community leaders urge Akron to increase resources

Lina PortmanJune 5, 2024

0 3 minutes read

Two community leaders urged the city to rethink violent crime in its poorest neighborhood, calling on elected officials to reinvest in underserved communities.
The comments come two days after 24 people were shot and one killed in a mass shooting at Kelly and 8th Avenue in East Akron.
LaTeris Cook, 27, was killed in the shooting.

For two community leaders, prevention, not reaction, should be the city of Akron's priority after LaTeris Cook, 27, was killed and two dozen others were injured in a mass shooting Sunday morning east of Akron.

The shooting, Ray Greene Jr. said, revealed how the city lacks programs and funding focused on solutions in communities living in poverty.

“We need answers”:Akron woman condemns gun violence after stepson dies in mass shooting

“It wasn't a mass shooting; it was more than that,” said Greene, executive director of the Freedom BLOC. “This is a lack of investment in a community.”

Greene and the Rev. Jaland Finney of Second Baptist Church called on the city to take action.

“[The mass shooting] » gets everyone's attention, but what about before the guns go off? » Finney said. “We need vision to prevent. »

Akron city and police officials had not provided any new updates Tuesday afternoon regarding the search for the shooter and the condition of the injured, two of whom were listed in critical condition as of Sunday evening.

The Akron City Council somberly acknowledged the shooting Monday evening, observing a moment of silence for the victims at the start of the council's weekly meeting.

In his comments before the meeting adjourned, Ward 6 Councilor Brad McKitrick said, “My heart goes out to everyone in the community. »

He said people from outside Ohio and outside the country have contacted him following the tragedy.

He praised the quick response of Akron emergency personnel and thanked them for their actions Sunday, saying he was “proud” of how they handled the incident.

But as the impact of the shooting continues to reverberate throughout the city, including fears that it could be part of a cycle of retaliation against previous shootings, some community groups say Akron needs to enact changes radical if she sincerely wants to reduce violence in underserved neighborhoods. .

Ray Greene Jr. says lack of access to resources increases anxiety

For prevention to take place, Greene said the city and society must recognize how underserved neighborhoods without adequate funding are at greater risk of violence on the scale of the June 2 shooting.

The lack of affordable and accessible housing, decent wages, reliable transportation and other material goods adds stress to the daily lives of residents in these communities, he said. This anxiety is compounded by violent crime.

Mental health resources are scarce and underutilized while conflict resolution is not a priority in schools, which plays a role in violent crime, Greene said.

Finney said there were signs something like this was going to happen, referencing previous shootings in the area, but no effort was made to prevent further violence.

Police responded to at least three other shootings in the East Akron area in the two months before Sunday's shooting. Although the incidents were not fatal, three people were hospitalized with gunshot wounds. In total, Akron has seen at least 12 fatal shootings in 2024.

How should the city invest in its underserved communities?

With a city budget of $815 million and about $60 million earmarked for the police department, Greene said funds need to be refocused on the city's underserved populations, which include its black and poor neighborhoods.

“We need to shake up the budget,” Greene said. “The city is too focused on policing.”

Greene said he would reinvest part of the police budget into mental health accessibility, conflict resolution programs, parks and recreation improvements and other community-focused solutions.

That doesn't mean he wants to see the police department dismantled, he said, adding that there is a need for police officers. He hopes that by redirecting the city's budget toward education and mental health, in a decade or two a new generation of teens and adults will hold each other accountable alongside a police department focused on the community.

To break the cycle of violence in Akron, Greene said schools and the city should prioritize funding for conflict resolution classes, and the justice system should rely more on programs focused on mental health and violence prevention.

Greene said two of those programs could make a difference if used more: Peace Circle and Akron Rites of Passage.

Coupled with these programs, he said, affordable and accessible housing and living wages would help underserved communities in Akron and across the country.

What do we know about the mass shooting?

No arrests had been announced in the case as of Tuesday afternoon.

Summit County Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The U.S. Marshals Office is offering $7,500 and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has offered a $10,000 reward, bringing the total to $22,500.

Lina Portman

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