Neighbors remember city's latest homicide victim as a good dad

10/9/2017
BY ZACK LEMON
BLADE STAFF WRITER
  • Toledo-Police-car-3-12

  • Beverly Bell heard dogs barking, then gunshots early Sunday morning.

    She is used to hearing shots coming from Havre Street to the east, or on Langdon Street to the west, but Chapin Street had been different. 

    “This is a family neighborhood,” she said. “We watch out for everybody.”

    That is what shook the neighbors of Dantana Cunningham, 25, who was shot and killed early Sunday morning at his home, in the 300 block of Chapin Street. 

    “He was a really good dad,” Ms. Bell said. Mr. Cunningham was raising seven children, she said, including an infant born on Tuesday. 

    “It’s just sad these kids will grow up without a dad,” she said. “It’s kind of senseless.”

    Toledo police say they have no updates on the case. Officers arrived on the scene Sunday morning, where they found him suffering from at least one gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead on the scene. 

    The Lucas County Coroner’s Office performed an autopsy Monday. Mr. Cunningham died from multiple gunshot wounds, a coroner’s office official said.

    RELATED: The Blade’s 2017 homicide report

    His death was the city’s 32nd homicide this year.

    Mr. Cunningham pleaded guilty to attempted cocaine trafficking, a misdemeanor, in September, 2016, and was sentenced to work release for six months. He requested that sentence be changed to probation so he could be home with his children, and Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Stacy Cook granted that motion. He failed to appear for his probation and was arrested for that violation. His probation was terminated in May, 2017, when he was ordered to repay $715 to the county.

    Myron King, another neighbor of Mr. Cunningham’s said he had his vices, but that he did not have any problems with neighbors. 

    “He was a good dude,” Mr. King said. “He took care of his kids.”

    Tyler Garcia said Mr. Cunningham was always willing to help out neighbors, including loaning money to Mr. Garcia to get gas in his car when he did not have the money. 

    “He was the first guy I was cool with on this street,” Mr. Garcia said.

    None of the neighbors said they knew what brought violence to their street.

    “That’s what’s shaking the street,” Mr. King said. “It can’t change how you go about your daily activities. You have to keep going.”

    Contact Zack Lemon at zlemon@theblade.com419-724-6282 or on Twitter @zack_lemon.