The city of Cincinnati is grappling with a surge of emotions and demands for heightened park safety after the fatal shootings of two 11-year-old children at the same playground, two years apart. Isaac Davis confronted Cincinnati City Council earlier this week, demanding more decisive action following the death of QueenEr'Re Reed on New Year's Day at Laurel Playground. In 2022, Davis's own son, Domonic, was also killed at the same location, prompting Davis to advocate for increased security measures. "Do you really care? I don’t think you do," Davis told council members in a statement obtained by FOX19. "Because if you did, it wouldn’t of taken another kid to get killed in a private park where kids play."
Amidst growing public outcry, the Cincinnati City Council had already set aside funding for security cameras and lights at the park in September, nearly two years after Dominic Davis's death. City Manager Sheryl Long confirmed the installation of six cameras thus far, with six additional ones planned for the next month, as reported by FOX19. A larger camera and light fixture were also added just days after Reed's death, a move Davis described as "a huge blow to the family, a big slap in the face."
Chere Williams, the mother of the recently slain QueenEr'Re Reed, echoed Davis's frustrations in questions posed to city officials about the delays in implementing safety improvements. As per her interview with WLWT, Williams demanded to know where the promised cameras were, emphasizing the need for them "to be placed there for all these children to be able to have fun, without having to worry about being shot and killed." Both families are united in demanding accountability and swift action to ensure no other family experiences similar tragedies.
As local authorities scramble to respond, details about the status of camera installations in the West End have trickled out. After Davis and other supporters of Reed's family pressed the issue, City Manager Long provided some answers during a city hall meeting, stating, "CPD has installed six new cameras in the West End since September with the funds allocated by city council." She claimed these were operational at the time of Reed's tragic shooting, however, a camera near the park that night was not facing the park, as recounted by Local12. Long stressed that getting additional cameras operational is a priority.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of QueenEr'Re Reed's killing, with another active reward for information on Domonic Davis's death. Anyone with information is urged to call 1-888-283-8477, as efforts continue to not only find the perpetrators but also to prevent further loss of innocent lives in community playgrounds.
