When he heard about the shooting of 11-year-old D’Mari Johnson outside of the Golden Glide skating rink last weekend, media personality and entrepreneur Rashad Richey said the tragedy instantly hit home.
In an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the popular host of the “Rashad Richey Morning Show” on News & Talk 1380 said he grew up going to the DeKalb County rink. The scene that unfolded early this past Sunday morning is not one he recognized from his Friday nights there when he was a student at McNair Middle School.
“This shooting is a tragedy that has multiple victims,” Richey said. “The person who pulled the trigger is likely to be a minor, too.”
Around 1 a.m. Sunday, a crowd of people poured out of the Wesley Chapel Road facility as seven gunshots rang out, the AJC previously reported. Johnson, who was one of several children in the crowd, was hit once in the back of the head. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition, where he remains.
In such situations, Richey said the kids involved often have links to gangs, a fact he said he’s learned in his work as a youth mentor and gang de-programmer.
“When young people are engaging in significant violence, there’s usually a connection to a violent culture or subculture,” he said.
Richey said he hopes the $10,000 reward he’s offered from his own pocket will incentivize people who would typically avoid contact with the police to come forward with information about the shooting. While he’s still encouraging people to provide information through official channels like Crime Stoppers and DeKalb police, Richey said he also hoped to get tips from “gang-bangers, drug dealers and criminals of all sorts.”
“I don’t mind putting up some of the pennies I have to potentially save two young people,” he added, referring to Johnson and the person who fired the shots.
Richey recalls that Golden Glide was a “party scene” where there might be an occasional fight, but it wasn’t somewhere you’d expect real violence. Despite his perception of the skating rink as a relatively safe place, Richey said he and his friends were still patted down for weapons as middle and high school students before being allowed inside.
“How does a gun get on the premises in the first place?” Richey asked.
He said he plans to make sharing the reward money as simple as possible, whether the tip comes through Crime Stoppers, DeKalb police or directly to him. He has spoken with Johnson’s grandmother, who he said was among the family members on rotation watching over the 11-year-old in the hospital.
The family started a GoFundMe page to help pay for Johnson’s medical expenses. The page has raised nearly $3,500 so far.
Quoting statistics published by the American Psychological Association from memory, Richey said youth violence often hinges on poverty and lack of resources. With that in mind, he implored the community to “step up.” When it comes to violence among young people, Richey said, the perpetrators are also victims.
In the case of Johnson’s shooting, “the person who pulled the trigger needs help, too,” Richey said.
Anyone with information is asked to call DeKalb police investigators at 770-724-7850. Tipsters can remain anonymous, and be eligible for additional rewards of up to $2,000, by contacting Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, texting information to 274637 or visiting the Crime Stoppers website.
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