RESIDENT TELLS SECOND DISTRICT POLICING COMMITTEE ABOUT BULLETS FIRED INTO HER HOME

PHOTO BY BRUCE CHECEFSKY

Tuesday, August 11, 2026; Second District Community Policing Committee meeting, OneHope NEO, 3202 Fulton Road: The Cleveland Division of Police Second District, led by Commander Timothy Maffo-Judd, holds monthly Community Policing Committee meetings on the second Tuesday of every month at 6:00 PM.

by Bruce Checefsky

   (Plain Press September 2026) “On July 25th, things changed a lot for me,” said Sarah (last name withheld to protect victim privacy during the active investigation). “While in my home, I was reading to my twenty-one-month-old twins and heard popping sounds coming from outside. I looked out my window and saw people running down the street. I heard two more loud bangs and immediately felt heat and impact.”

   Multiple gunshot rounds pierced her home, with two bullets entering the kitchen where her husband Matt was and two bullets entering a bedroom where her children were sleeping. The incident occurred at approximately 8:00 p.m.

   She had been shot. Her voice quivered as she spoke. “The bullet pierced my femoral artery, went through my thigh, and struck my daughter’s crib.”

   Leaning on a cane for support, she stood before a group of about thirty neighborhood residents gathered at OneHope NEO on Fulton Road, as part of the 2nd District – District Policing Committee meeting held on the second Tuesday of every month at 6:00 PM, and led by Commander Timothy Maffo-Judd.

   Sarah continued. “I was the only one injured. I am so grateful for that, even though I have a bullet hole in my leg.”

   Matt, a former Navy corpsman, grabbed a belt and immediately applied a tourniquet to her leg. “I am a registered nurse. My husband, thank God, is very trained.”

   Sarah spent the next week recovering from the gunshot wound at Metro Hospital. “I remember every single minute of it. I never lost consciousness until I went into the operating room. All I wanted to know was whether my kids were safe.”

   Unable to get around the house following surgery, she relies on a cane and walker for support, and hopes her recovery goes well. A lifting restriction prevents her from picking up her children. “They don’t understand that Mommy can’t pick you up,” she said. “Knowing my neighbors did this is the most mind-blowing part of it all.”

   With her sense of safety shattered because of the shooting, living and raising her children in Ohio City may no longer be an option for Sarah’s family. She is actively looking for a home in other cities. “I’m scared, so I’m looking at other cities,” Sarah said. “I want my kids to play outside and read to them in their room in the safety of my house without feeling like something could happen, like a bullet flying through your wall.”

   Visibly upset while she spoke, knowing the suspects responsible for the shooting were released from jail, she continued, “I fear extra for my family and myself. It was such a tragic and traumatic event.”

   Shannon M. Musson, who serves as Supervisor within the General Felony Division at the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office and regularly presents updates at the meeting, was not there to explain why they were released. Her father passed away unexpectedly the day before.

   When done speaking, Sarah thanked everyone. Applause filled the room. Maffo-Judd, born and raised in the neighborhood, said, “You have come to the right place.”

   A couple of days before the community meeting, Ward 7 Councilman Austin Davis issued a press release with information that Cleveland police officers arrested 75-year-old Venancio Camargo Sr, 46-year-old Venancio Camargo Jr, and 21-year-old Daniel King-Camargo, a family trio of grandfather, father, and son, on attempted murder and felonious assault. They were later charged with additional crimes.

   According to Davis, and verified by police reports, a gunfight broke out over a car detailing job following a verbal confrontation between Camargo Jr. and the 24-year-old auto detailer victim, whose name has been withheld during the investigation. Multiple rounds were fired. Two unintended bystanders were injured, including Sarah, and a 42-year-old man standing on a neighboring porch, whose identity was not publicly released by the Cleveland Division of Police pending an ongoing investigation.

   Cleveland Police, assisted by SWAT, executed search warrants at nearby residences, recovering a .45-caliber handgun. Court indictments and search warrants also list an assault rifle, alongside multiple recovered firearms and ammunition from nearby residences, and a second handgun.

   Camargo Sr. was indicted by a grand jury and released after posting a $100,000 bond.

Camargo Jr. and King-Camargo appeared in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, pleaded not guilty, and were released after posting a $250,000 bond. The defendants are charged with attempted murder, felonious assault, discharging a firearm near prohibited premises, improper discharge into a habitation, tampering with evidence, and vandalism. Judge Jeffrey Saffold is presiding over the case.

   Brian McEntee, Second District Captain, praised Sarah and Matt for their bravery. He provided context for the investigation, saying that within 72 hours, warrants were issued, indictments were handed down, and evidence was collected from the crime scene.

   “You guys are truly victims in this thing,” said McEntee. “But you are also heroes because you saved yourselves. I have seen people shot in their femoral artery. They do not make it. You saved yourselves,” and stated that the incident was not a sign of gang violence in the neighborhood. “This activity did not involve drugs, and the shooting was irresponsible. People were not thinking.”

   Police responded immediately, he added. “We will continue to follow the investigation. I know these types of situations can create panic, fear, anxiety, and concern that it might be part of a chronic situation. I am here to say that in this area of the city, it is not.”

   Davis said earlier in the meeting that he would use the power of City Hall to curb the violence and offered support from City Hall. “Obviously, this matter is horrible with the number of shots fired and people injured, and the connection to the neighborhood block,” he said.

   Maffo-Judd was wrapping up the hour-long meeting. “It took a lot of guts to come out and do this tonight,” he said to Sarah and Matt. “I said it once, and I’ll say it again. You guys are the best community in the city, and it shows.”      

   Cleveland’s gun death rate is three times greater than the national average, according to the city’s annual Violence & Injury Report, with a significant surge of gun violence on the Near West Side in recent months. Maffo-Judd reported that Second District police responded to 3750 calls for 911 service in July alone, with 97 arrests, and 567 arrests since the beginning of the year.  For any active crime emergencies or life-threatening situations on Cleveland’s West Side, dial 9-1-1 immediately. For non-emergency crime reporting or suspicious activity, call the Cleveland Division of Police Non-Emergency Number (216) 621-1234.

   The First and Second Police Districts serve the West Side of Cleveland. Neighborhood stations or their respective detective bureaus can be reached directly for ongoing case information or local inquiries at the Second District Station (serves Ohio City, Clark-Fulton, Stockyards, Tremont, Old Brooklyn, etc.) at (216) 623-5200. The Detective Bureau can be reached at (216) 623-5218.  First District Station (serves West Park, Cudell, Jefferson, Detroit-Shoreway, etc.) phone number is (216) 623-5100. Detective Bureau is (216) 623-5118.

   To leave anonymous tips regarding illegal firearms or violent crime, call Anonymous Crime Tips (CrimeStoppers) at (216) 252-7463.