Posted on 08/04/2004 5:58:49 PM PDT by KrisKrinkle
Less than a week after the Cleveland Plain Dealer published Bill
Singleton's name among a list of people who have chosen to obtain a license to
bear arms for self-defense, Mr. Singleton is dead.
When three robbers came to Singleton's business Tuesday morning - they
allegedly shot before Singleton had time to react to their demands.
In an exchange of gunfire, Singleton and a 17-year-old assailant were shot in the
parking lot outside the United Check Cashing store on Lake Shore Boulevard near
East 156th Street. Both later died at Huron Hospital.
“As I was outside I had seen a person stumbling,” Perry Roberts said. “He had his
pistol in his hand and he was saying ‘somebody help me, somebody help me’ and
he fell down on the ground.”
Cleveland police said Singleton was shot once in the chest, and he shot
17-year-old Rhyan Ikner once in the head. The two accomplices that witnesses
saw with Ikner have not been found, said police Lt. Wayne Drummond. It was
unclear Tuesday whether Singleton was shot by Ikner or one of the other robbers,
Drummond said.
Attacker Had Criminal Past
Ikner was arrested in March on aggravated robbery charges after police said he
held up two men with a handgun.
The victims failed to appear in court for trial, and the charges were dropped on
June 17. Ikner was released that day from the Cuyahoga County Jail.
Ikner also was found delinquent six times in Juvenile Court since 2001 on
charges of drug possession, drug trafficking and assault, court records show.
Victim Was Caring, Respected Citizen
Friends described Singleton, 59, of Solon, as a kind man who was active in the
neighborhood merchants association, and who sought to help lift up the nascent
retail district surrounding his business, which opened last year.
"He treated everybody so decently," said Ward 11 City Councilman Mike
Polensek, who was supposed to meet Singleton on Thursday to talk about the
neighborhood.
"[He was a] good man who cared about his family, who cared about his
neighborhood [and] made an investment in here," Councilman Mike Polensek said.
"Here's another, decent black businessman, an African-American businessman
gunned down, for what, because he made an investment in our city. We are being
preyed upon by predators and we have got to send a message to the predators
that it's over. You can't continue to do this.
It is not yet known Polensek has a history if support for the right of citizens to
bear arms for self-defense.
The Need to Bear Arms For Self-Defense
But Singleton also worried that his business would attract thieves. He said he was
robbed at least twice, and he was planning to buy surveillance cameras to mount
outside the store, said Brian Friedman, head of the Northeast Shores Development
Corp.
Records show Singleton received a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
"He was scared," Friedman said. "He had a sneaking suspicion this would
happen."
Ray Beverly, who manages the video store across the street, says he could have
easily been killed like Singleton because he was just robbed at gunpoint Monday
afternoon.
"He took me into the back room, wanted to know where the safe was, cracked me
with his gun, broke my fillings," said Beverly. "He took me back to the adult room
and told me to stay in there ... that if I came out, he was going to shoot me."
"It became a war zone in two days," said Beverly.
People in the neighborhood are scared and angry.
"It's not safe for any color, any race. It's not safe for nobody any more," said area
resident Carolyn Johnson. "I got robbed on East 156th myself."
This isn't the first time Singleton's life was in danger. One morning in June, Bill
Singleton was opening his Collinwood check-cashing store when he had to fend off
a would-be robber in a skeleton mask. Though the man had a gun, Singleton
managed to hold the door shut and lock it before calling police.
Questions Which Deserve Answers
It is not yet known if the Cleveland Plain Dealer's actions even remotely played
into this tragedy. But the harsh reality of the situation begs the question:
Why did editor Doug Clifton act to put people like Bill Singleton at so much risk by
revealing to potential attackers that they are armed, and why do they promise to
continue to do so?
Why did Doug Clifton decide that these innocent, law-abiding citizens, desperate
to protect themselves from violent criminals that no gun control law or background
check can stop, are the ones needing to be treated like persons of suspicion?
Initial accounts say the robbers shot first, ambush-style. Did they know Singleton
was armed? Did Bill Singleton die upon Doug Clifton's altar of open records? We
may never know. (Emphasis added.)
If they're really interested in public safety, why doesn't the Plain Dealer spend its
precious page space printing names of persons like these attackers, with violent
criminal histories?
The questions above may yield answers with time. But this one can never be
answered: How many other would-be victims of Rhyan Ikner will live out their lives
because of the heroic actions of Bill Singleton?
He should be CHARGED as an accessory to murder and robbery.... No Questions asked, Just charge him....
LOL! I noticed the difference in spelling just before I hit the post button, but let it go anyway.
I don't really want an RV, I'd rather sleep in Motels and eat in Restraunts when I travel. An RV was just the biggest thing I could think of on short notice-747's and Condo,s in the Smokies or on Hatteras, just didn't come to mind.
Yep I'm a Virginia/Carolina combo. As far as I know, most of My Ancestry are native to Rockingham county NC and Pittsylvania county Virginia.
I just feel a need sometime to insert a little humor into all our seriousness.
Freegards
FJM
"I just feel a need sometime to insert a little humor into all our seriousness."
We all need a little humor once in a while. But sometimes it seems like those who need it the most don't know that:)
I'm not sure I understand why the legislature gave access only to the press but agree fully with your conclusion that this guy subverted that objective by printing the list. However, the legislature's decision is illogical in a circular fashion. What else is the media going to do with the information but publish and then everyone knows.
I suppose they could od the same with open arrest warrants and overdue taxes and put the burden of the cost of notification on the media.
Again, thanks.
Ain't that the truth?
>>But as I recall, the intent was that the press would only seek access on a onesy-twosey basis in order to monitor things. <<
This would enable the press to add the tagline, "a concealed carry weapons permit holder" when someone was involved in something "newsworthy".
From: TC Rider
Sent: Friday, August 06, 2004 12:31 PM
To: dclifton@plaind.com
Subject: Bill Singleton, RIP
And may you burn in hell!
Maybe now you'll rethink publishing the names of those with permits to carry.
Who else have you set up for an ambush!
You were warned that this could happen, and you published the list anyway.
Happy now?
TC Rider
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