South Bend again promises action after another teenager killed by gun violence
SOUTH BEND – The South Bend community says it is time to end the violence as it mourns the death of another young person from gun violence.
Alyyus Enoexpettiford, 16, had just completed his freshman year at Riley High School and was on summer break when police reported he was found with apparent gunshot wounds in the 500 block of East Victoria Street on June 14. Enoexpettiford was taken to the hospital and died from his injuries.
As of June 21, police had not released any suspect names and were still investigating the shooting.
South Bend City Council President Sharon McBride shared memories of her great-nephew Enoexpettiford by phone on July 18. She described him as a very respectable young man who was loving and kind.
“He loved people,” she said. “He was a friendly child, positive and always looking for the best in life.”
Riley High School Principal Shawn Henderson reached out to Riley’s parents in a letter he posted on social media to express his condolences and condolences to Enoexpettiford’s friends and family during this difficult time, and encouraged families to speak openly about their feelings and concerns.
A few days later, on June 17, Enoexpettiford’s family, friends and fellow citizens gathered for a vigil in his memory.
Although community activist and retired police officer Lynn Coleman did not know the family personally, he said he attended the vigil out of concern for the young lives lost.
“This chaos of violence must stop,” said Coleman. “It just keeps going.”
Coleman spoke of this “tough time,” pointing to three shootings in South Bend and a shooting on the Beltway, where the SBPD is still investigating whether the incident occurred north or south of the state line. Those incidents left one dead and six injured.
Another South Bend shooting occurred on June 20 on Parry Street, which left two women hospitalized for their injuries and 28-year-old Jasmine Swanson dead. The condition of the two injured women was not released. On Friday, June 21, South Bend police announced that 22-year-old Rya Barnes had been identified as a suspect and was arrested Thursday afternoon.
“We must oppose violence at all levels,” Coleman said.
Despite this recent increase in shootings, SBPD Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski told the Board of Public Safety at its June 18 meeting, “It feels like 100 shootings, but that’s not the case.” He added that this is still not good news because the number is above zero.
Police have released the number of shootings caused by criminal assaults so far this year, comparing 2024 and 2023.
Shootings related to criminal assaults:
Annual course 2024: 22
Annual course 2023: 29
Victims of criminal attacks and shootings:
Fatal accidents since the beginning of 2024 = 4
Fatal accidents since the beginning of 2023 = 9
Non-fatal accidents since the beginning of 2024: 31
2023 YTD Non-lethal 33
A call to action
Four days after Enoexpettiford’s death, McBride said her family is still grieving.
“It’s still very difficult and shocking,” McBride said. They’re taking it day by day, she said.
As president of the South Bend City Council, McBride said she was already trying to support this ongoing fight before one of her loved ones fell victim to gun violence.
“We have been trying to find ways in the community to stop gun violence,” she said.
For Mychael Winston, director of Goodwill SAVE Outreach, who regularly interacts with the community to provide preventative measures against gun violence, Enoexpettiford’s death was different because it was so tragic, he said.
“Even the most hardened and experienced professionals are shaken by this,” Winston said. “We try to understand things and use strategies like the GVI strategy to address violence in a certain way, and then things like this happen that can completely mess everything up.”
He said random acts of violence like this force his team to start over, but such acts continue to occur.
They will continue to be active in the neighborhoods considered “focus areas,” he said, spending time engaging in the community and continuing to stand firm.
“We see that violence has no age limit,” said Winston. “Violence is not just for 21- to 24-year-olds or those over 30. It can happen to anyone.”
Winston said her call for action against violence was a collective effort.
“Law enforcement is fighting hard,” Winston said. “We understand that. A lot of what law enforcement is doing has to be reactionary.”
Winston said the police’s community resource officers are proactive and engaging with the community, which is great, he said, but added: “The responsibility is on all of us.”
Email Tribune editor Camille Sarabia at [email protected].
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