When tragedy strikes: covering a shooting and working for change in my city

I've been covering Akron city government for two years now. I moved to Akron shortly after I got the beat two years ago in July.

In some ways, I feel like I've been covering and living in this community for much longer, because so much has happened in this city in the last two years: challenges, triumphs, enthusiasm and sorrows.

Now that the weather is (mostly) warm, I like to walk along the Towpath Trail near downtown. As I pass the Cuyahoga River and the historic remains of the Ohio and Erie Canal that helped put Akron on the map nearly 200 years ago, I often find myself reflecting on all that I have experienced, learned and discovered here for the last two years.

I grew to love this city, especially its parks, its breweries, its restaurants, its minor league baseball team and, above all, its people. It is a city populated by hard-working citizens who are extremely proud of their neighborhood. I met so many passionate people of all ages who truly care about making this city a great place to live.

My memories of the past two years exist in two different compartments in my brain: the stories and issues I talk about, and the culture and activities I grew to love in my free time as a resident.

But when I recently had to cover a tragedy that struck my own community, it became difficult to put aside my personal feelings as a resident.

On Sunday, June 2, Akron woke up to the shocking news that a mass shooting had taken place on our city's east side.

Just after midnight, an unknown number of suspects shot dozens of times into a crowd at a birthday party on Kelly Avenue. The death toll now stands at 28, including one person who died, Lateris Cook, and two people who were seriously injured.

When I heard about the shooting Sunday morning, my first reaction was shock. Then I was angry. How could anyone do that? This senseless act of violence stole the life of a young person and left so many others with lasting and unimaginable trauma.

Then my journalistic instincts kicked in. Since it was a weekend, I had to alert Ideastream's reporter and editor-in-chief of the news. I also had to prepare for the next day's follow-up, as well as for the weeks and months to come.

Journalists work to minimize our personal biases and not let our emotions get in the way when covering stories. Of course, we're human, so emotions can sometimes shine through, especially at the end of the day when we log off and go home.

However, with this story, I find it more and more difficult to completely bottle up my personal feelings. And it's definitely not a story I can try not to think about when I log off.

Akron is my home and I love this city. I am furious that a shooting of this magnitude happened in this community. I'm angry that whoever did this still hasn't been held accountable. I am heartbroken for the victims and their families who have been traumatized by this incident.

However, I'm also starting to feel inspired. This caring community came together in force to support the victims.

I am inspired by the dozens of people who have attended prayer vigils and held meetings with families to see how they can help them during this difficult time.

I am also inspired by a new fund that has been created to help victims. Several nonprofit organizations have partnered with the city to create a gun violence response fund that will go directly to victims and their families. The Akron Community Foundation made a $25,000 donation, which was quickly matched by the United Way, and then city officials approved spending an additional $150,000 into the fund.

The awareness raising probably won't stop there. Johnnie Hannah, councilman for Ward 5, where the shooting occurred, is calling for more resources to combat gun violence and address disparities.

“We are asking these businesses and institutions to invest not only their monetary resources, but also programs that will help reduce the gun violence plaguing our neighborhoods,” Hannah said. “We need to start having an open dialogue with our young people, especially those who feel like there is no hope. »

As a journalist, I will work tirelessly over the coming months to inform people about this tragedy and the ongoing recovery efforts. I will be honored to help amplify victims’ stories if they feel ready to speak.

But as an Akron resident, I also want to be more involved in my community in my free time. Even volunteering at places like the Akron Township Regional Food Bank or the environmental nonprofit Keep Akron Beautiful can help address some social disparities, such as poverty, that often lead to violence.

As Hannah said, I believe we also need to cultivate hope, especially in our youth.

I am grateful for the two years I spent discovering this wonderful city. I look forward to continuing to inform the community as a journalist and, as a neighbor, to working with my fellow Akronites in the years to come to try to bring about change and inspire hope.