Murder spree spurs Second District March Against Violence
by Chuck Hoven

(Plain Press, September 2009) Groups of residents and stakeholders from throughout the Second Police District joined in a March Against Crime on July 30th, spurred into action by a spree of violence that resulted in six murders on streets along the Clark Avenue corridor in the period from mid May to the end of July. The marchers planned to send a message against further violence and to demonstrate their support to Second District Police officers.

The marchers from neighborhoods throughout the Second District converged 250 people strong at Soap Opera Laundry at W. 25th and Walton, the site of a the murder of Tracy Pickryl. On June 18th Pickryl was shot and killed during a robbery at Soap Opera Laundry where she worked.

Homicide reports available on the Plain Dealer website Cleveland.com indicate that prior to the slaying of Pickryl, three other people in the immediate neighborhood died as the result of violence in a killing spree that began on May 14. On that day Harold Goolsby, age 23, of W. 46th Street just South of Clark was shot and killed in his home at 3 p.m.

A month later on June 16th, Harold Goolsby, age 23, died of a gunshot wound on W. 30th Street just south of Clark. He was shot in the chest at 1 a.m. when he confronted a group of men who yelled at him.

A day later, at Scranton Castle, Iris Rivera, age 2, died, the victim of blunt force trauma.

Cleveland.com compiled homicide reports, indicate that the local murder spree did not end with Pickryl’s death. On June 26th, a robber shot Richard Villanueva on the porch of an abandoned house on Scranton Road where he was drinking beer with two companions.

At 3 a.m. on July 27th, just days before the March Against Violence, Damon Blunt, age 31, was chased by a group of people and stabbed to death in front of his 12 year old son on W. 35th and Daisy.

Arrests have been made in four of the six murders. Additional details are available at the Plain Dealer website Cleveland.com.

Supporting the organizing of the march were volunteers from the Second District Police Community Relations Committee, Second District Police, Local Councilmen, area churches, area businesses, Community Development Corporations and neighborhood block clubs.

The largest contingent of marchers, over 150 people, met at the Second District Headquarters on Fulton Road to begin the march northeast to Soap Opera Laundry. Another group moved west from the Tremont neighborhood, the Ohio City contingent moved south from Market Square and another group moved east from the Stockyard and Clark Metro neighborhood.

Second District Police officers escorted marchers as they marched to the rally and back to their starting points.

The enthusiastic marchers sent out a strong message against violence bearing colorful home made signs with slogans such as “Peace in the Streets”, “Stop the Violence” and “Be the Change You Wish to See in the World.”

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