Social media posts regarding 'purge' appear to be untrue, police say

Toledo was trending on Twitter on Tuesday morning regarding some of the violent incidents. 

By Allison Dunn / The Blade
Tue, 11 Aug 2020 13:57:12 GMT

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A post on social media spread like wildfire, causing the circulation of false information of a “purge” happening across the city as Toledo police responded to various reports of shootings and violent incidents. 

Around midnight Monday, more than 5,000 people were tuned into Toledo Police Department’s central channel to listen to the activity — making it a top scanner feed on many police scanner applications. More took to social media claiming a “purge,” referring to the abrupt and violent removal of people, was happening after a woman warned the community not go to outside from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m.

While Toledo police did respond to various shootings on Monday, there was nothing to suggest they were connected or that a so-called “purge” was occurring, said Sgt. Mike Kurjan, a Toledo Police Department spokesman.

“I think the thing seemed more overwhelming than traditionally because of the social media rumors. I think a lot of that is kind of putting a magnifying glass on this and those rumors are propagating that it was this so-called ‘purge.’ There’s no indication that any of those incidents were at all related,” Sergeant Kurjan said.

“We can safely say that in three out of the five shooting incidents that were reported [on Monday,] the victim and suspects knew each other. Hopefully this calms the fear of the public knowing that there is absolutely no indication that any of these incidents were connected.”

Toledoans caught wind of warnings coming from a woman named Katrina Furr, who identifies as a self-employed contractor available for spirit cleansing and in-depth readings.

Around 5:10 p.m. Monday, Ms. Furr publicly posted on Facebook that Toledoans were in danger — “especially those ages 24 and younger,” she wrote. Over the past several days, Ms. Furr made references to a “female demon” on the loose.

Ms. Furr’s post has gained more than 6,000 shares and nearly 1,000 comments.

The Blade attempted to contact Ms. Furr regarding her social media post, and police will be reviewing it to determine if any charges are warranted. 

Adding fuel to the fire, “Toledo” was trending on Twitter on Tuesday as users discussed and shared a graphic video of a shooting near a basketball court at Winterfield Park in the 4500 block of Hill Avenue around 4:45 p.m. Monday.

A cell phone video appearing to have been made by the victim was posted to Facebook. It recorded the sound of a series of gunshots and then the victim saying he'd been shot and pleading for someone to take him to a hospital.

When police arrived at the park, everyone had fled the scene.

A short time later, Khyree Joyce, 19, of the 4200 block of Asbury Drive returned and told police he ran from two men who came to the park while he was playing basketball. He heard multiple shots fired but was not struck.

Mr. Joyce also said there were two additional men with the two he ran from. In the Facebook video, at least one person can be seen carrying a rifle.

In the same incident, Jermaine Brown, 23, of the unit block of Garfield Place, was shot at least once, and was taken to ProMedica Toledo Hospital. A hospital spokesman had no information Tuesday morning.

Police also found that a house in the 4500 block of Hill had been struck by a bullet. One of these stray bullets pierced through a window and plaster wall. The house’s owner reported ducking for cover in his kitchen — the bullet, later collected by police, landed mere feet away.

Witnesses in the Winterfield Park area who spoke to The Blade on Tuesday also shared that one individual carrying a long rifle had jumped the fence of a vacant property whose back yard faced the park. Around the same time, they also reported seeing two cars, one black, one blue, tearing down the road.

Several residents of Melody Avenue, which runs parallel to the park, declined to disclose their identity out of concern for their safety. Several said that a driver in a Jeep had slowed down the vehicle and silently eyed them while they were talking to police, as if to intimidate them.

Winterfield Park and the surrounding neighborhoods had been city councilman Tyrone Riley’s district, but he voluntarily relinquished his post after being charged with several counts of conspiracy and extortion. “There’s no one to call!” said one neighbor, who aired her frustration that city officials have not been actively responding to the shooting.

By early Tuesday afternoon the park was nearly deserted. Bleachers had been straightened and discarded T-shirts and trash were disposed of.

Other incidents were reported earlier Monday.

Police responded to a victim and residence shooting at approximately 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Weiler Homes in the 590 block of Leach Avenue — a location of several shootings during the past few weeks. Toledo Police Chief George Kral told The Blade last month that the complex is an area to which officers are paying close attention.

Victor Ramsey, 38, of the Leach address, told officers he was inside his residence when he got into a verbal altercation with Raheem Jackson, 20, who was standing outside his apartment.

Both parties shot at each other, but neither was wounded. Mr. Jackson fled the scene, a report states, and several bullets struck Mr. Ramsey’s apartment.

It’s not uncommon for Toledo police to respond to multiple shootings on one day, while another day can be less hectic, Sergeant Kurjan said. At least three shooting incidents Aug. 5 — including two alerts from ShotSpoter and an aggravated robbery at a convenience store — included incidents involving guns. Other days may only include one incident involving a firearm. 

Toledo police say it’s difficult to predict shootings, unlike other incidents like break-ins, which sometimes show a pattern with location or time. 

Violence during the summer months can happen for a number of reasons, particularly given the hot temperatures and people mingling after the coronavirus, often on top of alcohol or drug usage, the sergeant said. 

“We also see an increase in these types of call now that we have our ShotSpotter technology — more incidents are being recorded because of this,” he said.

Over the weekend, police reported at least three shootings at Toledo homes, three alerts from the ShotSpottter, separate shootings of a woman, a man, and three people, along with the reported homicide of Robert Pedelose, 72. 

But police’s determination that the body of a missing man, Derlanis Holman, was caused by a homicide and the viral shooting near a basketball court caused more alarm among people on social media.  

Still, detectives continue to investigate these and other past incidents. 

“At this time, the department is investigating all possible motives regarding the shootings from last night. Our investigators, as always, work hard to develop a connection between victims in incidents such as this and the suspects who perpetrated the crime,” Sergeant Kurjan said. 

Blade staff writers Alexandra Mester and Emily Tian contributed to this report. 

 

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