CLEVELAND — The arrest of the 15-year-old suspected Public Square shooter Wednesday highlights a disturbing trend in teen gun violence in Cuyahoga County.
The county prosecutor’s office reported a record 41 juveniles have been charged with homicides so far in 2023. The defendants are connected to 27 incidents and 30 victims. In 2022, 35 juveniles were charged in 25 incidents. This year’s number is nearly double the 22 juveniles charged in 2021.
“It’s a troubling trend that we’re seeing,” Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley said. “It’s tragic because these people are hurting people seriously.”
We saw it in the alleged armed carjacking last week outside Ginn Academy. We saw it in the group of teens with guns, beating a man at a gas station in Cleveland in July. And we saw it in the Public Square shooting last month that injured two teenagers and sent holiday crowds running.
The city of Cleveland has seen a total of 150 homicides overall this year, about the same as 2022. But more of the victims are youth. The Cleveland Division of Police reports 22 children from 0 to 17 years old were killed this year, more than double the reported average of 10 from the same age group.
“It’s about first of all work to prevent crime. But it’s also about when people do cross that line—and that shooting on Public Square was certainly an example of it—we need to quickly apprehend that,” O’Malley said.
O’Malley said they identified the Public Square suspect within hours of asking for the public’s help in a press conference last week. The 15-year-old suspect turned himself in Wednesday afternoon.
But organizations want people to know the disturbing numbers don’t reflect a lack of effort on the part of many people and groups.
“We cannot afford to lose another child to gun violence,” Myesha Watkins said. “There are programs out here that are willing—more than willing—to work with your young person if you feel like they’re taking a road that will lead them to a space where they’re not alive or free.”
Watkins is the executive director of Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance.
“We should all be looking at this like its our responsibility to ensure that not one more young person loses their life to gun violence, any other form of community violence or to the justice system,” she said.
It’s a difficult task. O’Malley said Cuyahoga County isn’t alone though. He said others across the state are seeing similar, disturbing trends heading into the new year.
“It is absolutely up but it’s not just Cleveland. Columbus—Franklin County—is seeing the same thing. Other counties are seeing the same thing. And I think it’s a combination of multiple factors. I think certainly there is availability of guns that we hadn’t seen 5 or 10 years ago.”
Previous Reporting:
- 15-year-old Public Square shooting suspect now in custody, Cuyahoga County prosecutor announces
- 3 teens indicted for 'crime spree' that included carjacking of Ohio State football coach outside Ginn Academy
- Cleveland police arrest 12 juveniles for alleged violent crimes, including beating a man and firing shots at gas station