Cleveland Police Investigating Multiple Holiday Weekend Incidents

CLEVELAND — A wild video emerged over Memorial Day weekend showing the iconic chandelier at Cleveland’s Playhouse Square with a ring of flames beneath it and a screeching car doing doughnuts around it.

“The Cleveland Police Department is aware of videos on social media showing vehicles ignoring traffic laws and driving erratically,” said Sergeant Wilfredo Diaz Monday afternoon. “These incidents are extremely dangerous and can have serious consequences for those involved and those around them. We urge anyone who witnesses such behavior to report it to us immediately. No arrests have been made in connection with the recent incident, but public safety is our top priority and we are committed to keeping our community safe.”

Additionally, this holiday weekend, investigators responded to an altercation that ended in a shooting on St. Claire Avenue in the early hours of Sunday morning, leaving one person dead and three others injured. 3News asked Sergeant Diaz for an update on the case this afternoon.

“There’s not much new,” he replied. “The preliminary information is that a group of people had gathered outside 1466 Saint Clair Ave. when an altercation occurred. During the altercation, shots were fired, injuring the four victims. We continue to investigate the cause of the shooting.”

The Cuyahoga County Coroner’s Office identified the person who died in the shooting as Tavon Thompson.

This weekend’s violence came just days after Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and city officials announced “Operation Heat Wave” on May 21. “What’s unique about our summer safety plan this year is that we recognize that every department in the city of Cleveland has a role to play in reducing violent crime,” he said of the operation.

Here was his message after the quadruple shooting, highlighting the summer safety plan.

“I am both sad and angry about this reckless and cowardly act of violence. It cost a life and deeply affected many others. My sincere condolences go out to the victims and their families. It is time to break the vicious cycle of violence and find better ways to resolve conflicts.

“Cleveland residents deserve to feel safe in our city. My administration will continue to work with law enforcement, local partners, faith leaders and community members to reduce the number of guns on our streets, target violent crime hot spots and deploy resources where they are most needed. The Cleveland Police Department is investigating this incident and I encourage anyone with information to come forward.”

Community activists like Myesha Watkins, executive director of the Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance, support the mayor.

“I am pleased that Mayor Bibb and the administration have created a plan based on partnership and collaboration that shows how we can address community violence, including gun violence, at the city level,” Watkins said.

Her organization already has plans to combat gun violence this summer, including a car wash to raise money for youth who need help navigating the legal system, a peace walk to raise awareness about the effects of gun violence and solutions, and a firearms education class to teach how to handle guns safely and properly.

“It’s up to us as a community to figure out how we strengthen these communities, what resources and programs are needed and how we plan not just for one season but year-round to make sure that no life is lost in District 5, District 1 or downtown,” Watkins told WKYC on Monday. “We cannot afford to have anyone lose their life anywhere in the greater Cleveland area.”

Cleveland police are asking anyone with information about the quadruple shooting or stunt driving at Playhouse Square to call them at (216) 623-5464.