Parma was the scene of a harrowing incident this Friday when two teenagers sustained injuries in what has been described as an "unprovoked" shooting. According to the Parma Police Department, officers were called to West Ridgewood Drive, west of Ridge Road, after reports of gunfire. In the chaos that ensued, two teenage cousins found themselves the victims of those shots, with one sustaining a wound to his left arm and the other to his left thigh. A subsequent release from police indicated that these wounds were non-life-threatening, with both teens having been released from the hospital as of Tuesday.
The paradoxical tranquility of suburban sidewalks was shattered when, according to the victims, they were walking. Then they met by a barrage of gunfire from a suspect headed in the opposite direction. The suspect, a 23-year-old man named Dameon Anthony Kijanski, is now in custody. He has been accused of two counts of felonious assault, while police uncovered a loaded 9mm handgun along the path linking the scene of the crime to the RTA station, where he was later arrested. Cleveland19 reported that the injuries inflicted upon the teenagers were "through and through" gunshot wounds.
Kijanski's apprehension came as a response to a detailed description provided by witnesses, which led authorities to the RTA Transit Center on Day Drive. There, they found three spent 9mm shell casings, which served to piece together the trail and events of that night. Following his arrest, Kijanski, whose bond has been set at $1 million by a Parma judge, will see his case presented before the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. According to WKYC, additional charges may be filed against him.
What remains unclear is the motive behind Kijanski's actions, as both victims claimed to have not known their assailant before the incident. The victims, ages 18 and 19, told authorities that Kijanski began yelling at them before opening fire. Parma Municipal Court Judge Timothy Gilligan, who determined the notorious bond, might have considered Kijanski's criminal history. Earlier this year, he pleaded guilty to domestic violence, carrying concealed weapons, and possession of a gun with a felony record, according to cleveland.com. As of now, the community and the victims await further developments as legal proceedings continue to unfold.
