HitMen offering $5,000 reward for video of shooting

Counseling sessions began Wednesday for players and others at the game.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Mahoning Valley HitMen, an arena football team, is offering a $5,000 reward for a video that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person who fatally shot a Ravenwood Avenue man at a peewee football game Saturday.
Such a video may not even exist, but if it does, Jim Terry, owner and HitMen head coach, said he wants to get it into the hands of police.
Authorities have estimated there were more than 600 people in the stands at the former South High School stadium when Larry Jones, 31, was shot by another man.
There isn't a peewee or Little League game in the country where there aren't 10 or 15 home video cameras recording the action, Terry said.
If someone taking video of Saturday's game captured the shooting on camera, the HitMen will pay $5,000 for the tape, no questions asked, provided that it leads to the arrest and conviction of a suspect, Terry said.
Police have publicly asked for any video or camera phone shots of the scene, but a detective on the case said Wednesday that none has been offered.
If someone is afraid to step forward with a tape, he can do it through the HitMen, Terry said, explaining that the team can be reached on its Web site at www.mvhitmen.com.
Terry said he made the offer because the shooting occurred at a football event and "because it's our community."
Here's the situation
There are already some people who don't want to come into Youngstown to attend sporting and other events because they fear being a crime victim, he said.
Events like the shooting at South High stadium reinforce that fear and people need reassurance that in-town venues are safe, he said.
Police said the shooting wasn't directly related to the game in progress other than that the men involved were in the stands.
The homicide has given some suburban peewee teams cause to reconsider sending their kids to play at fields in the city.
The Northeastern Ohio Youth Football League was meeting Wednesday night to decide where it stands on the issue.
Rick Thomas, league secretary, said some parents already have said they won't allow their children to play in Youngstown, and some teams have indicated they will forfeit their games rather than play in the city.
Thomas is president of the Austintown Little Falcons scheduled to play the Wilson Little Red Men at the South High stadium Sept. 2.
After several hours of discussion Wednesday night, Thomas said members will discuss options with teams and meet again next Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. at Davidson's Restaurant in Cornersburg.
The NOYFL board is to meet with Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams. Thomas said the mayor indicated the city will provide as much security as possible at future games.
The Northeastern Ohio league represents nine teams from Austintown, Poland, Campbell, Boardman, Howland, Canfield and Youngstown.
Williams said it would be unfortunate if the suburban teams choose not to return.
Peewee football has been played in the city for decades without something like this happening, he said, adding that he wants another game to be scheduled for the South High venue as soon as possible to send a message that the city and residents won't be controlled by the type of person who committed the shooting.
What's planned
There were no security officers at Saturday's game, but Williams said the city is working on a plan to require security at all events at all municipal-controlled venues.
Meanwhile, the city and the Volney Rogers Coaches Association have made counseling available to the players, parents, coaches and cheerleaders who were at Saturday's game.
Clinical and spiritual counselors from various mental health agencies and churches were sent to the practice sites of the Titan Youth Football Team and Sons of Thunder Football team Wednesday to offer their services, both in a group setting and in individual sessions, if needed.
Those teams are part of the Volney Rogers Youth Football League and were playing at the time of the shooting.
A general counseling session is set for 6:30 p.m. today in New Bethel Baptist Church, 1507 Hillman St., for those who didn't make the practice sessions. Other sessions can be arraigned by contacting Jeanie Harris, the association's commissioner, at (330) 518-8310.
gwin@vindy.com