Cleveland councilman calls for 'cease fire' after 8 violent deaths in September

CLEVELAND - Two shootings in the past 24 hours in Cleveland's Ward 2 have lead to a call for help and pleas for peace.

Ward 2 City Councilman Zack Reed was joined by fellow Cleveland Councilman Jeff Johnson, representatives from the Black Shield Police Association and various community and neighborhood activists at the corner of East 144th Street and Glendale Avenue to ask for a halt to the violence that has resulted in eight deaths during the month of September.

The meeting was held just down the block from where a shooting caused the death of 27-year-old Duane C. Parker around 6 p.m. Tuesday. Overnight, gunfire near East 135th Street and Miles Avenue sent another victim to the hospital with a bullet to the head. Cleveland police continue to investigate both incidents.

Reed said more needs to be done in combating violence, calling for a cease fire.

"We as a city must find a way to raise revenue to bring back police officers and provide our city's police department with the resources they need," Reed said.

City leaders are also planning a summit on violence. While no date has been announced, they want to include everyone from federal law enforcement to local institutions, including area hospitals.

"We need all hands on deck," said Councilman Johnson.  "We need to get all of the stakeholders -- the traditional and non-traditional, at the table."