CLEVELAND — After two separate weekend shootings left three adults dead and injured two teenage boys, a Cleveland City Council member plans to go door-to-door in an effort to address gun violence.
For the first time, Jasmin Santana is speaking publicly about how gun violence affected her own family, an experience that has motivated her to search for the root causes behind the violence.
On Sunday, a daytime shooting on W. 48th Street claimed the life of 23-year-old Julius Kafel.
Two teenage boys, ages 15 and 16, suffered injuries in the shooting.
Police arrested 52-year-old John Kafel, though investigators have not disclosed how he was connected to the victims.
Maria Serrano, who lives on W. 48th Street where the shooting occurred, described the chaotic scene.
“This guy came out crazy, ‘boom boom boom boom boom,’ they all shot,” Serrano said.
Serrano’s 15-year-old grandson, whom she has raised as her own, was among those injured.
“These guys get out of the car, go there, grab my grandson from his neck, put a gun right here, and I said, ‘Please let my son away,'” Serrano said.
She said she began screaming, and her grandson managed to run away despite being shot in both hands. He remains hospitalized.
Just 24 hours earlier, another fatal shooting broke out during a house party on Woodbridge Avenue.
Joshay Andrews, 18, and Randy Clark Jr., 19, lost their lives in the shooting.
Police said no arrests have been made in that case.
“You don’t want to get those calls,” Santana said.
Yet Santana received calls about both shootings in the neighborhoods she serves.
“Crime is something that is increasing in our area, and I do get the calls. I do live in the neighborhood, I witness it, I experience it,” Santana said.
The violence also brought back memories of an incident involving her own daughter.
“It’s disheartening. I live in the neighborhood. This is something I’ve never shared before, but my daughter was a part of gun violence just about a year ago, and it’s still hard for me to talk about it,” Santana said.
She explained that her daughter was riding in a car with a friend when someone randomly opened fire on them. According to Santana, her daughter’s friend lost a kidney as a result of the shooting.
“I wanted to give up because my priority is my kids,” Santana said.
Instead, she said the experience strengthened her determination to address the underlying causes of gun violence.
On Tuesday, Santana plans to walk through the Stockyards and Clark-Fulton neighborhoods, inviting residents to take part in a gun violence listening session.
The event is scheduled for Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the MetroHealth Opportunity Center at Via Sana, located at 3335 W. 25th St.
Santana said she has worked to renovate parks and partner with libraries to provide activities for children, but she also wants to take a tougher approach toward nuisance properties.
News 5 Investigators asked Santana about the source of the guns circulating in the community.
“Yeah, where are they getting them? I don’t know, I don’t know, I mean, I’ve heard of youth stealing guns, right, but I don’t know they’re all illegal guns,” Santana said.
Gun violence is a reality Serrano says she knows all too well. After living on W. 48th Street for 18 years, she now plans to leave the neighborhood.
“Everybody got guns in this war, that’s what I hear, everybody,” Serrano said.
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