'She enjoyed the world': Family, friends remember CPS student killed in Downtown shooting
Rev. Peterson Mingo has people raise their hands if they have been touched by gun violence during a Saturday vigil for his niece, Shamari Mingo, who was killed in a Downtown shooting on Wednesday.Few people have seen firsthand the problem of gun violence in Cincinnati like Rev. Peterson Mingo.But the death of his 18-year-old niece, Shamari Mingo, killed in a double shooting early Wednesday morning in the Central Business District Downtown, has once again brought that violence close to home for the prominent anti-violence advocate who for years has worked to combat the city's shootings.Family members and supporters gathered Saturday evening at the Metro stop in Government Square, where Shamari was shot, to memorialize the young woman.They held hands, prayed and shared memories of Shamari.Mingo said his niece was a Cincinnati Public Schools student going into her senior year. She loved to dance and sing."She enjoyed the world," said Mingo, the longtime pastor at Christ Temple Full Gospel
Few people have seen firsthand the problem of gun violence in Cincinnati like Rev. Peterson Mingo.
But the death of his 18-year-old niece, Shamari Mingo, killed in a double shooting early Wednesday morning in the Central Business District Downtown, has once again brought that violence close to home for the prominent anti-violence advocate who for years has worked to combat the city's shootings.
Family members and supporters gathered Saturday evening at the Metro stop in Government Square, where Shamari was shot, to memorialize the young woman.
They held hands, prayed and shared memories of Shamari.
Mingo said his niece was a Cincinnati Public Schools student going into her senior year. She loved to dance and sing.
"She enjoyed the world," said Mingo, the longtime pastor at Christ Temple Full Gospel Baptist Church in Evanston and most recently led the God Squad, a street intervention group.
For Mingo, losing a family member to gun violence is nothing new. His four brothers, two nieces and two nephews have all been killed in shootings, he said.
"It's something you don't get used to," Mingo told The Enquirer.
A 16-year-old boy was struck by a bullet during the incident and hospitalized as well, according to police.
While Mingo credits the Cincinnati Police Department for its work trying to prevent fatal shootings and catch those responsible when one does happen, he said police can't stop gun violence on their own.
So, what's the solution? Mingo says the city needs more people living in communities, who are committed to stopping gun violence, to connect with young people and steer them away from violence.
"You have to be able to show them what is real," Mingo said, adding that kids have become desensitized to violence. "People are suffering."
Through his work with the God Squad, Mingo has supported the families of shooting victims on the worst days of their lives.
At least one of those people, 48-year-old Gary Smith, of Westwood, showed up to the vigil to do the same.
Smith's 14-year-old son, Cameron Franklin, was killed in a shooting on Storrs Street in Lower Price Hill in July 2019. The boy's killing remains unsolved.
Smith said Mingo prayed with him on the night his son died. On Saturday, the two men prayed together again.
"He was there," Smith said of Mingo. "He's there for everybody."
Cincinnati police have not released any information about possible suspects in Shamari's killing. Investigators are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call CrimeStoppers at 513-352-3040 where tips can be left anonymously.
Shamari's family has set up a fundraiser on GoFundMe, with donations going toward funeral expenses.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Family holds vigil for niece of anti-violence advocate killed in shooting
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