Residents want better communication from city after Oak Park teens shot
OAK PARK, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Some residents in the Oak Park community said they are disappointed in what they considered to be a lack of communication after two teens were shot last week.
"And here we have two African-American students who were shot right across the street from the police station, and no one has been arrested," said Crystal Bailey, a mental health expert and an Oak Park resident.
Bailey is a community activist and said she is very concerned about the lack of information released by the city administration and police regarding the shooting that left two teens hospitalized.
"The community hasn't gotten any information from the city, by text message, by email, and this is an outrage, and we want better communication," Bailey said.
Oak Park school board trustee Dawn Corporan said she agrees communication needs to improve especially considering no arrests have been made and a shooter is still on the loose. She also said she is thankful those students are expected to be OK..
"They are recovering, both students are recovering," Corporan said.
Oak Park Public Safety said the two students are expected to survive, but no suspects have been identified. The shooting happened last week at Oak Park High School's homecoming football game.
Bailey said she wanted to meet with residents, other community activists, and school officials to help the community be informed and said the city needs to be better.
"We just want our elected officials from the city of Oak Park and our city leaders too to let us know when something like this is happening right here in our community," Bailey said.
In response to the allegations from School Board Trustee Dawn Corporan and Crystal Bailey, the Oak Park Schools Superintendent released the following statement:
"The connection between the city administration and our schools remain seamless. Chief Steve Cooper and the public safety team have consistently demonstrated transparency and diligence in their investigation.
The Oak Park School District strongly condemns any actions, speech, or behaviors that seek to sow division among individuals, schools, cities or communities. Our official statements are issued by the Superintendent and School Board President, and we do not endorse the statements made by individuals who spread misinformation or serve self-interest at the expense of our students.
We have zero tolerance for any attempts to politicize incidents involving our students, staff, or families. We stand together against societal injustices as a united front. It's important to note that the actions or comments of individuals do not represent the district's official stance on a specific issue or situation.
We deeply appreciate the unwavering support of our city's public safety team in our community and schools. Our school district maintains a strong partnership with the city of Oak Park, and we are genuinely satisfied with the collaboration."
Angel Abdulahad - Oak Park Schools Superintendent
