EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — East Cleveland Police Chief Ken Lundy held a press conference Tuesday with an update on the investigation into the three shootings that took place over Labor Day weekend.
Lundy announced that a total of 10 people were shot in the early morning hours of Sept. 2, including one fatal victim identified as 23-year-old Erin Strozier. Police also showed photos of some of the suspects that they believe are involved in one of the three shootings.
The shootings took place amid the celebration of the Shaw High School all-class reunion. Thousands of people who attended Shaw returned to East Cleveland to take part in the festivities that began on Thursday and concluded with a picnic at Forest Hill Park on Sunday evening.
Two of the incidents happened on Euclid Avenue, including one near the school, while the third occurred on Elwood Road about a half-mile away.
"Over the years, social media has played a significant role in publicizing the reunion, leading to a massive turnout after hours," Lundy explained. "Unfortunately, this increased visibility has also attracted individuals who either never attended Shaw High School or disruptors looking to take advantage of the large crowds to commit acts of violence."
East Cleveland Mayor Brandon King and a representative of the Shaw High School Alumni Association both stated that the reunion event itself had nothing to do with the shootings.
"The bad actors involved in this are not East Cleveland residents," King said.
THE SHOOTINGS
1st incident
East Cleveland police responded to calls of shots fired in the area of Euclid Avenue and Collamer Street at approximately 1:02 a.m. When officers arrived, they found an injured man and woman, both suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. They were both transported to a nearby hospital.
Lundy told reporters that because of crowd control, the injured man was carried two blocks by police and EMS to a waiting ambulance.
2nd incident
Lundy reported that seven people were shot outside the Mobile gas station at Euclid Avenue and Shaw Avenue near the high school at approximately 2:05 a.m.
"I even transported a woman with a gunshot wound to University Hospitals," he stated.
3rd incident
At approximately 2:30 a.m., East Cleveland police officers responded to calls of a man injured near the 1300 block of Elwood Road. The victim, Strozier, ultimately died on Sept. 7 as a result of his gunshot wound to the head.
All of the other victims from the shootings have been released from the hospital.
Lundy added that investigators "have successfully identified several suspects involved in the shootings that occurred at the Mobile gas station." Two suspects still need identification.
If you have any information about the suspects or the shootings, contact the East Cleveland Police Department at (216) 451-1234.
You can watch Tuesday's press conference in the player below.