CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a previous and unrelated story.
The Fourth of July holiday was a violent one in the city of Cleveland with Cleveland Police reporting nine separate shootings between 6 a.m. on July 4 and 6 a.m. on July 5.
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The nine shootings to take place in Cleveland, none of which have been reported to be fatal, include:
- A 34-year-old man shot on Steel Yard Drive. The gunshot wound grazed the male's buttocks and he refused treatment.
- Four people shot at East 139th St/Kinsman Rd. The victims included a 26-year-old female shot in the elbow, a 25-year-old man shot in the leg, a 19-year-old shot in the hip and a 30-year-old with a possible gunshot wound to the shoulder. The incident remains under investigation.
- A 23-year-old man shot in the leg at E 93rd St/Parmalee Ave.
- A 27-year-old man shot in the back at 18121 Euclid Ave.
- A 43-year-old man shot in the leg at 13206 Ferris Ave.
- A 23-year-old man with a gunshot grazing his knee at E 156th St/Grovewood Ave.
- A 25-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the hand. The man arrived at Metro in a private vehicle, refused to give any information and left the hospital. The location of the shooting is unknown.
- A 67-year-old man shot in the arm at 6610 Harvard Ave.
- A 26-year-old man with gunshot wounds to the knee and both thighs. The shooting took place at 13411 Miles Ave.
"It's unacceptable. It's sad. This is somebody’s child, somebody’s brother," said Cleveland Councilman Blaine Griffin, Ward 6.
As far as why violence is picking up, Councilman Blaine Griffin and community activist, Richard Starr, point to several factors including the pandemic, as well as access to guns.
“We are coming out of COVID. People have pent-up frustration and now they’re interacting with each other a lot more,” said Griffin.
"We have to address the root of the problem which is, how are these guns getting into the community and why are people in the community so fascinated with guns? Why are young people using these guns?" asked Starr.
Gun violence is not just a Cleveland problem. At least 400 shootings took place across the country this holiday weekend, according to data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive.
And for those who think gun violence is just a city problem, Councilman Griffin says those in the suburbs should also be concerned.
"Very much like the opioid epidemic, very much like the heroin epidemic, it'll come to a neighborhood near you. It doesn’t stay contained in poor and minority communities. This epidemic of gun violence can spread anywhere," said Griffin.
A spokesperson for the Cleveland Division of Police tells 3News that the agency is "investigating multiple incidents of violent criminal activity occurring over the holiday weekend, including multiple acts of gun violence."
Anyone with information is asked to contact law enforcement. Anonymous information can be provided by calling Crimestoppers at (216) 25-CRIME.
"We can’t be quiet and say it's cool. It ain’t cool. That person who was killed has people that loved them, and they no longer can see them," said Starr.