How Lakewood Groups Are Responding To Madison Park Shootings

LAKEWOOD, OH — An 18-year-old was hurt during a shooting at Madison Park on Tuesday evening. It was the second shooting at the park in two months. The incident prompted concern from nearly every corner of Lakewood.

Lakewood City Council immediately released plans to increase police presence in the park and a long-term proposal for safety solutions. The news was met with cautious optimism from several Lakewood groups.

The Friends of Madison Park group praised Lakewood City Council for taking swift action to try and improve safety at the park. The group also decried the violence at Madison Park.

Read more: Lakewood City Council Proposes Changes After Madison Park Shooting

"It is concerning to see our park be the site of another crime," the Friends said in a statement. "We strongly condemn gun violence and refuse to tolerate having anyone feel unsafe in our park."

The Lakewood United Football Club (LUFC) had several teams practicing at Madison Park on Tuesday evening when the second shooting occurred. The organization issued a statement saying neither players or coaches were hurt during the incident.

"At this time, LUFC is working with the Lakewood Recreation Department and the City of Lakewood to understand what additional safety measures will be put in place to further protect LUFC members and other users of the park," the club said in a statement. Until new safety measures are in place, the group intends to use a different park for practices.

The full statement from the club is available online.

A Safer Lakewood

Mayor Meghan George, Police Chief Kevin Kaucheck and other leaders led a virtual safety meeting in late March. They outlined incidents of recent gun violence, describing them as isolated incidents, and outlined how they intended to keep the community safe.

Following the virtual meeting two weeks ago, Lakewood resident Jon Wagner launched a Facebook group called "A Safer Lakewood." In approximately 14 days, the group has ballooned to nearly 700 members.

Wagner said he was disappointed in the city's safety meeting and launched the group to provide a place of discussion and information for Lakewood residents.

"We have, I am proud to say already provided an information source for residents they did not previously have and also- within two weeks- provided a direct channel of communication to every council person. The only person in city government we’ve extended an invite to who has not accepted is the mayor," Wagner told Patch.

Two Shootings In Two Months

The first shooting happened at Madison Park happened March 12. During that incident, Kaucheck previously said, an argument broke out at the basketball court over who could play next, two suspects then shot at one man. The third man then pulled out a gun and shot at the two suspects.

One of the suspects was wounded in the shooting. He was treated at a local hospital and then charged.

Since that incident, Lakewood upgraded the lights at Madison Park, part of a safety plan implemented in the wake of gun violence in the city. The project had a $120,000 budget.

The second shooting happened at 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday. An 18-year-old was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center, according to Lakewood Police Chief Kevin Kaucheck. He was taken into surgery, but his condition is unknown at this time.

Investigators believe that shooting also happened near the basketball courts and was prompted by an argument.