The Observation Deck

I just saw on the news that a what they think young (teen) man was shot about 4 times. The incident happened on Detroit avenue and warren....anyone know anything???

And the next story is involving Lakewood high school students had raped a fellow classmate....

what is this city coming too???!!!

Hence the need for organized Block Watches. They are starting to pop up around the city.

I would encourage everyone to join their Ward Block Watch and get involved!

The more eyes the better.

A beautiful night in Lakewood has been spoiled by gunshots. A young man in his early twenties was shot 4-7 times as he fled from an attacker, first on bike, then on foot, eventually falling down just behind the rear door of the Party Station, in downtown Lakewood.

The shooter is said to have fired on the victim from a red or maroon Chevy Blazer, discharging 4-7 rounds into his back before speeding away from the crime scene, north toward Clifton.

Not a random act of violence, the victim and shooter were acquainted. According to sources, the whole incident began this morning, around 10:30, with an altercation that lasted throughout the day. Following the early morning incident, the shooter began stalking the victim from his Red SUV. The victim, on bike, managed to avoid his stalker until sometime around 9 pm, when their paths crossed in the First Federal Lkwd parking lot. The victim fled west across Cook Ave into the parking lot behind the Party Station, where his attacker fired 4-7 shots into his back.

The shooting took place in the view of numerous witnesses; walking the streets, parking cars, enjoying a pleasantly warm fall evening on their porches.

At the moment, the victim is alive and talking.

Stay tuned for more details.

Yellow tags mark the shell casings.




Victim collapsed behind the Party Center.




Shooters car found two blocks away.


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David Lay wrote:Hence the need for organized Block Watches. They are starting to pop up around the city.

I would encourage everyone to join their Ward Block Watch and get involved!

The more eyes the better.

I support the idea of the Block Watch but in this situation, what would have happened differently? Just curious.

Thank you for the update. I live on Gladys, which runs right along that parking lot. I work at the library and yesterday when I left the policeman on duty said there had been a shooting. I was driving home and couldn't turn down Gladys. Went down Cook and saw that the parking lot had been marked off by police. I saw the bike laying there but knew no other details. I was going to post on here last night to see if anyone knew what had happened. I knew I could count on Observers to fill me in.

Random act of violence or not, it is still scary. I had a knot in my stomach the whole way home. What if I had walked home from work last night?

Did they catch the suspects?

Suzie,
What did you hear about the gang rape? My son told me last week he knew of a girl who went to a party where the mom allowed alcohol. The girl drank and passed out and a few guys there raped her with the mom there and other girls there and someone took camera pictures!!!! I was waiting to hear if any real facts came out on this and did not see the news. Is this the story do you know? What news channel? If it is that mom is just as guilty.

WKYC covered it last night and this morning.

Justine

http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.a ... ider=gnews

It would appear real facts are what turned this.

I too hear rumors of this last week, and many more rumors connected with this.

The mother, should and will have the book thrown at her. Legally and civilly I am sure and would hope in the courts.

I think it would be a good idea to talk to ALL the mothers involved in this nightmare.

How many were at the party?

How many of them called the police that night, or when it happened?

Much like Falls River, Mass. Put the whole damn house filled with kids on trial. So I hear about it on my side of town and you hear about it on yours. AND NO ONE CALLED THE POLICE THAT NIGHT! NO ONE CALLED THE POLICE!

Block watch, how about house watch!


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I have to go look. I was hoping the "facts" were exaggerated when my son told me. He knows the girl and felt horrible and she was afraid to tell her parents. Wow. I am beyond saddened and haven't even went to the site yet.

I will say this. rapes and dates rapes happen much more frequently than people know-in every single community. I know some are thinking this looks bad for Lakewood, but it is so much better that this came out publicly 1. to help the girl and get some justice and 2. to send the message to others that they won't get away with this. If this had not become public. these boys most likely would have done it again, to another girl. This sends the message to everyone what they should have already known, that rape is punishable up to 10 years (in this case)!

I hate to tell you but channel 19 is talking to the family in the other thread. I wish the school would have made an attempt to mediate that. This won't be a good week for Lakewood in the news.

I hope that poor teen pulls through. Please keep us updated.

I must agree with Justine here regarding the rape issue. This is one that COULD happen, and probably does, in virtually EVERY community. Too many kids pass their free time with alcohol, and too many parents think that is OK.

The Duke case was a good example. Even though there was no rape per se, its clear the incident involved affluent kids, booze, and some kind of sexual activity.

Thats also the case with the supposed assault. Schools frankly dont know what to do about "cyber-bullying" After all it doesnt take place on their property or during school hours so are they really responsible to police it? Its also very hard to take kids accounts at face value. Was it really just a one-sided attack? School administrators learn by experience to be a bit skeptical in these matters.

The Cook shooting is far more disturbing. If there is now an element in Lakewood so brazen that they will shoot people in public, with onlookers and passers by, the wheels are indeed coming off the bus and block watches wont help. That area should be one of the most "noticed" in the city (and according to Dan Slife's account, there WERE people watching). I used to live right near there, and I am very troubled this morning.

Amy,

No word yet on whether the suspect has been captured. There is a warrant for his arrest.

Apparently there were at lease two other passangers in his car. Both fled on foot from the crime scene. One of the passangers, his girl friend, was apprehended last night.

Dee

I also agree with Justine, and while the politicans can do very little, the judge can. I really hope everyone that had immediate knowledge of this that night sees their day in court.

I do not see anything like the Duke case, as it was all BS. However Falls River, Mass is a perfect parallel using adults.

Another clarification. BOTH CRIMES took place in front of witnesses. Possibly the rape took place in front of far more.

I too am very troubled this morning.

Where did the morals in this country go?

The wheels are off the wagon, but where do you run too? EVERYWHERE has crime up. With jobs disappearing by the hour, and no ggod news in sight, and the bill for the war, and the ease of getting hand guns, and the massive drop in class a narcotic prices, will it ever end?

FWIW

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Has the mother who hosted the party been charged? You are right, this is not Duke which was led by a twisted and ignorant prosecutor, but did really happen right here in Lakewood in a friends' home with people watching and pictures being taken on a camera phone!

The "fight" that happened was actually an assault that could have been prevented had anyone at the school that was contacted taken the time to pull the girl who was making the threats aside and not allow her to go to the homecoming. Mr. Estrop still has not returned any calls to the family and the house principal who said he would get back to the mother, never did. This is not just a fight between two girls. Things have to change and the schools have a responsibility to keep kids safe while on their grounds. WE all expect that for our children.

This may be the perfect time for a police levy. Would more police presence have prevented the shooting? Maybe.