East Cleveland Ohio police will have extra troops available for 2025 All Shaw High reunion - 11 shootings in 2024
Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 2:12 pm
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East Cleveland’s Mayor Lateek Shabazz told 19 News that 11 people were shot last year and one person died, and he vows not to let that violence happen on his watch.
The Mayor says an increased police presence that includes the Sheriff’s Department and the State Patrol is working, “It’s been perfect, we’ve had no trouble. A few arrests, but not many. We’ve had no trouble. A few arrests, but not many. So it’s working really good.”
Mayor Shabazz says he’s sending a message loud and clear as the Shaw High School Reunions are held, bringing hundreds of people to town for their annual event this Labor Day weekend.
East Cleveland Mayor Lateek Shabazz tells me he wants to send a message loud and clear as the All Shaw High School Reunion has hundreds of people in town for their annual event this Labor Day weekend.
“We ready for anything that comes down. We want peace, but if we don’t have peace, we’re ready for that too. We want to enjoy our class reunion. It’s one of the biggest in the country, and we want to keep it rolling,” Mayor Shabazz said.
East Cleveland leaders say they don’t want history to repeat itself, because last year, one person died and 10 were injured in a shooting during the reunion weekend, and in 2022, one person was also fatally shot and nearly one dozen others were injured in separate shootings.
“Social media draws a lot of people, and most of them from out of the city or they didn’t go to Shaw, and are not even an East Clevelander. That’s what happened last year,” according to the Mayor.
But so far this weekend, there’s been peace on the streets as new memories are made with former classmates and friends.
Debra Patterson is one of the organizers. “We had quite a few that came from out of town, and it’s really wonderful to get together, and everyone comes to see us.”
The group was thankful for the increased police presence so that everyone could feel safe. “I really appreciate it because it was getting out of hand,” Patterson said.
Deputy Safety Director Mansell Baker tells 19 News that they will be enforcing a number of rules this weekend to include no large outside gatherings, “We want people to have fun, but we want people to have decency and order.”
https://www.cleveland19.com/2025/08/31/ ... ast-years/