21 people shot, 3 people killed in Cleveland on July Fourth holiday

CLEVELAND — It was far from a peaceful night in Cleveland on the Fourth of July. Between fires spread by fireworks and more than a dozen shootings, police, firefighters and EMS had their hands full responding to calls on the holiday.

In total, the city said it is investigating 13 separate shootings where 21 people were shot and three people were killed.

Karrie D. Howard, Cleveland's director of public safety, spoke out against the violence that rocked the city over a 24-hour period.

“What occurred over the holiday was unacceptable, senseless gun violence,” said Howard. “We all want safe neighborhoods, and together, we must do more.”

Interim Police Chief Wayne Drummond called on residents to speak out against the violence.

“Cleveland police investigators have been and will continue to put an enormous amount of effort into solving these recent crimes," Drummond said. "The acts of violence we experienced over the July 4th holiday are unacceptable and shocking. Lives were lost and many more experienced gunshot wounds that will impact victims and their families forever. We must work collaboratively to end violence. If you have any information that can assist our detectives, we ask that you reach out.”

Cleveland police report three of the people shot were attending an illegal fireworks display that took place on the property of Second Calvary Missionary Baptist Church on Emery Avenue, without church approval.

Anthony Garcia

Pastor Kito March told News 5 that his volunteers spent hours cleaning up fireworks debris and more, collecting more than a dozen trash bags of garbage that was strewn across church property. March said the illegal fireworks display continued past midnight and spiraled into violence and illegal activity.

“Things have just spun out of control, they have gone absolutely haywire," March said. "To the point where we’ve actually tried to get assistance from first district police to put a stop to the fireworks.”

“Last night’s events were absolutely shocking to me as well as the residents of this community. The alcohol and the fighting, and there was even a couple of cases where there were actually dice being shot on the church property. The individuals who were shot last night were not even residents of the west side, so for me as a Pastor, for me as a community leader, that’s very disheartening for me.”

Ward 11 Cleveland Councilman Brian Mooney told News 5 that the city must do more to curtail gun violence and illegal fireworks use.

Anthony Garcia

“Fireworks are not legal in Cleveland, and they continue to not be legal," Mooney said. “While the fights were still going on, there was alcohol involved, people on the street watching the fireworks and three people were shot. The investigation is on-going, one was shot in the chest.”

He continued, “The city needs to do a better job getting the message out and we need some enforcement. Just like the dirt bikes, all it took was a little enforcement with 'Operation Wheels Down' and we’ve seen the dirt bike problem greatly mitigated. Education of the citizens, that just because the State of Ohio legalized fireworks, they are not legal in Cleveland and we have to send the message out that they won’t be tolerated.”

Here's a breakdown of the shootings that happened between 6 a.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday:

• A 24-year-old woman was shot in the legs at the Edgewater Park Upper Pavilion in the 6600 block of Cleveland Memorial Shoreway.
• A 20-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman shot in the 4100 block of East 151st Street.
• A 52-year-old man was fatally shot in the back near East 93rd Street and Catherine Avenue.
• A 35-year-old man and 21-year-old woman were shot in the 1900 block of East 55th Street.
• A 31-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man were shot near East 155th Street and St. Clair Avenue.
• A 19-year-old man and 21-year-old individual were both shot accidentally in the 12600 block of Longmead Avenue.
• A 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old man were both fatally shot in the 900 block of East 141st Street.
• A 36-year-old man was shot near East 93rd Street and Union Avenue.
• A 17-year-old male was shot near East 78th Street.
• A 26-year-old man was shot in the 2100 block of East 43rd Street.
• A 23-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man were shot near East 124th Street and Gay Avenue.
• A 26-year-old man, 21-year-old man and a 24-year-old man were shot in the 12200 block of Emery Avenue.
• A 22-year-old woman was shot in the 10500 block of Park Heights Avenue.

As detectives continue to conduct interviews and process evidence ask that anyone with information contact investigators. Anonymous information can be provided by calling Crimestoppers at 216-25-CRIME. Please to report suspicious or illegal activity to law enforcement immediately.

Additionally, the city said it had 226 calls for service related to illegal fireworks. In one such incident, firefighters responded to a home on East 71st Street just north of Fleet Avenue for a house fire started by children who through fireworks.

RELATED: Vacant house goes up in flames after reports of kids throwing fireworks into home

Cleveland Division of Fire statistics were no better, with firefighters reporting more than 300 fire calls on July 4 alone, with seven structure fires and 19 lawn and landscaping fires.

The statistics included firefighters responding to a blaze on West 25th Street near MetroHealth Medical Center where a fire broke out from possible fireworks.

This comes after Cleveland and a slew of other cities opted out of a new state law that legalized fireworks. Municipalities across Northeast Ohio opted out and chose to prohibit fireworks to no avail.

Watch more in the player below:

RELATED: Despite cities opting-out of new law, fireworks complaints, fires and injuries still common

Anyone with information about the shootings listed above is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 216-25-CRIME. Reward money may be available.

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