CINCINNATI — A sea of red and black flooded Roselawn Friday afternoon. More than 500 people dressed in Dominic Davis's favorite colors laid to rest the 11-year-old killed in a mass shooting in the West End one week ago.
"From listening to his friends, he was funny, he was fun," said New Prospect Baptist Church Pastor Damon Lynch. "Your average 11-year-old."
Many of those in attendance were children.
"It was almost like a field trip, and you don’t want funerals to become field trips," he said. "I’m not sure what the impact of that is in the long run."
Friends of Davis shared their favorite memories and his love of sports and being outdoors.
Vice Mayor Jan Michele Lemon Kearny was one of the city's representatives at the funeral. She said she wanted the family to know the city is with them.
Cincinnati has had nearly 300 shootings so far this year. Just earlier this week, a 16-year-old fired shots in the area near Ziegler Park. He is charged with carrying a concealed weapon and obstructing official business after fleeing police.
For many kids in attendance, Friday wasn’t the first funeral they had attended for one of their friends.
"It’s trauma on top of trauma," Kearny said. "So we really have to make sure the resources are out there. And they are."
The vice mayor pointed to the deployment of more social workers and an increased police presence in the neighborhood.
Underneath the sadness at the church, there is a realization more needs to be done.
"If I'm extremely optimistic, I can say, you know, Dominic Davis's death is that moment, it's going to change everything," Lynch said. "But if I'm more pragmatic, it just means that there's a lot of hard work to do."
"I don't think we've put in enough of that work," he said.
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