EUCLID, Ohio — 3News is continuing to hear from Euclid residents after Friday night’s deadly shooting near the city’s high school and middle school campus.
A 17-year-old was killed, and four other teens were injured as shots were fired about an hour after a high school football game. The victim has been identified as Sincere Rowdy.
Police later arrested a 15-year-old Euclid resident who they say is the lone suspect in the shooting.
“It hurts,” says a mom who lives down the street from where the shooting occurred near the intersection of E. 222nd St and Nicholas Avenue. “It truly hurts.”
The woman, who did not want to be identified, says she has a son enrolled in Euclid City Schools who is friends with one of the injured teens.
“We don't want to see any more lives getting lost,” she adds.
The handful of residents who spoke to 3News that live on Nicholas Avenue, which is about a half a mile from Euclid Community Stadium where football games are played, say the neighborhood is typically quiet.
However, the concerned mom says there has been an increase in violence after high school football games.
“Something got to be done,” she says. “This has been ongoing for the past several years.”
Last fall, Euclid school officials moved a home high school football game to Brunswick following what they said were quote “inappropriate and inexcusable behavior on and off our campus.”
The move prompted officials from the Solon City School District to make the decision not to travel to Euclid to play a football game the following week due to safety concerns.
“Since last year … security had to get extra tight, there's constantly fights breaking out between not just our school but the rivalry schools that we're going against,” the mom says. “Yes, something got to be done.”
3News reached out to both the superintendent for the Euclid City School District and the president of the Board of Education to inquire how the district plans to address safety concerns at future football games.
Gabrielle Kelly, the board president, responded saying it is too early to make comments because the investigation is ongoing.
According to the district’s website, the next home football game for Euclid’s varsity team is scheduled for Friday, September 20 against Strongsville High School.