CLEVELAND — George Ivery Jr., the 21-year-old Cleveland man accused of walking into Tower City with a gun and making threats while live streaming, has been indicted by a Cuyahoga County grand jury.
According to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, Ivery was indicted on one count of making a terroristic threat and two counts of inducing panic. A date for his arraignment has not been set.
Investigators say on Nov. 9 at approximately 3:05 p.m., Ivery went live on his Instagram account and entered Tower City. He was carrying a gun and wearing a mask. After receiving multiple calls, the Cleveland Division of Police responded to the scene and arrested Ivery on the following day.
During its investigation, Cleveland police determined that Ivery has a history of recording himself and posting on Instagram. Prosecutors noted the following:
- "One video showed him inside a Cleveland State University parking lot pointing a firearm at vehicles driving on I-90."
- "Additional videos revealed Ivery Jr. shooting multiple rounds in the air in Lakewood."
- "He would also walk through downtown Cleveland and Lakewood parks holding a rifle and making threats."
“George Ivery Jr. demonstrated on live social media that he is an unstable threat to the citizens of our region,” said Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley in a statement.
Cleveland police Sgt. Freddy Diaz adds that the situation is a reminder that violence should never be encouraged online, and the community should continue to report troubling behavior to police.
“These live[streams], you know, they're looking for reach, they're looking for popularity, likes, interaction. So, if the community responds to that and encourages that, then obviously this motivates these individuals to do this,” said Diaz. “We need our community to step up and say, ‘This is irresponsible.’ It's not safe for the community. It's not safe for this individual.”
3News' Anna Meyer and Annabelle Childers contributed to this story
