Kevin McDermott was taking a walk in his Ludlow neighborhood Monday evening when a group of 6 or 7 young men approached him. Police say the young black men threatened McDermott, who is white, with a gun and knife, and shattered his leg with a lead pipe. Right now, police have no suspects but do not believe the attack is gang-related or racially-motivated.
Yet, the attack has alarmed city officials and neighbors, spurring a flurry of emails among community members and police. Thomas Chelimsky is co-president of the Ludlow Association. He says Shaker Heights has its share of crime, but this instance of seemingly random violence has alarmed residents.
Thomas Chelimsky: I'm talking about stranger to stranger violence that's very, very unusual. But, we do have burglaries and you know lots of lawn mowers stolen and things like this. Even we've had break-ins and people stealing things. But, that's different than a violent crime without a purpose.
Saturday morning Chelimsky will host a community forum to discuss how to improve neighborhood safety, improve street lighting, and possibly installing call boxes within the city. Neighbors and residents can get more details on the City of Shaker Heights website.
Tasha Flournoy, 90.3.