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Judge decries lack of cooperation with police
YOUNGSTOWN — A visiting judge chastised the community for its lack of help in bringing a gunman to justice, and a relative of the man killed nearly three years ago warned others to think before they shoot.
The comments were made Tuesday at the sentencing of Anthony Caulton, 27, who was convicted Monday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for gunning down an unarmed man at a youth football game.
Caulton, of East Auburndale Avenue, was sentenced to 18 years to life in prison for the shooting death of Larry D. Jones, 31, of Ravenwood Avenue, at the former South High Stadium football field during a youth football game Aug. 19, 2006.
Visiting Judge Thomas Curran, who imposed the sentence, said Caulton also will serve three years for using a gun in the crime. That three-year term will be served first and consecutive to the main sentence of 15 years to life.
Before passing sentence, Judge Curran made mention of the few people willing to come forward and testify at trial and assist police in solving the case.
“It’s a sad commentary that those present at a lawful and beneficial community event would not cooperate with police officials at the scene,” he said. “If you are going to have a safe community, it begins with the police official.” Police reports said as many as 500 people were at the game.
Judge Curran also referred to Caulton as “remorseless” before imposing sentence.
Shanelle Toney, the mother of one of Jones’ children, addressed the court for the family, saying the family has been devastated by Jones’ death. She read a poem she had written days after the 2006 shooting and said the family had only one question for Caulton: Why?
Toney and the Jones family would not get an answer, however.
Caulton refused to make any comments to the court or to the victim’s family before the judge passed sentence. He sat without emotion throughout the proceedings, even as members of his family and friends openly cried in court at the reading of his sentence.
Letricia Jones, the mother of the victim, said she is hurt that only two witnesses came forward to testify. She said the life sentence cannot bring her son back, but it does give the family a sense of closure.
“I have been crying for three years, and now I don’t need to cry anymore,” she said.
LaShawn Jones, the victim’s sister, said her brother had six children now age 7 to 15 who are still learning to adjust to his death. She said she wishes people would think about their actions beforehand to prevent any similar tragedies.
“People need to think before you react because once you start shooting, and the bullet is out of that gun, you are responsible for that bullet, and you can’t change that,” she said.