Shooting at Cleveland's SuccessTech Academy

As a local resident of Cleveland, I have had a front row seat to watch the unfolding drama and sadness that encompasses yet another school shooting. While people scramble for facts and interviews, the grief and anguish for many families is just beginning. The shooting at SuccessTech Academy in downtown Cleveland happened midday on Wednesday.

The school is located on Lakeside Avenue which is on the northeast side of Cleveland. At the time of the shooting, I was a half-mile south of the school waiting at an RTA bus stop (Cleveland's public transportation method). The streets of Cleveland were not any different during this day, yet the clouds above my head were a dull gray color. The prospect of rain was hanging over everyone, so conversations on the street were brief, and everyone's head was turned towards the ground as if they were trying to ignore the dismal weather in the sky. However, this weather perfectly suited the horrific events that took place in the school just a five minute walk from where I was standing.

The sound of sirens and horns eventually blends into the monotonous noise of a city, yet on this day I distinctly remember hearing police sirens and the honk of ambulances trying to navigate their way through busy city traffic. The sound did not carry special significance on this day, but it did seem to be louder than the normal distress signals of emergency vehicles. Because I was standing at a bus stop directly by the street, (Chester Ave and E. 13th Street if you prefer maps), I had a clear view of traffic and the sidewalk for a good distance. Although police and ambulances made their presence known, the rest of the everyday traffic was not immediately disturbed by the events at the school. Foot traffic remained as consistent as ever, and cars drove along the same routes as any other day.