16-year-old shot dead in North Toledo

6/11/2018
BY KATE SNYDER
BLADE STAFF WRITER
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    Toledo Police vehicles line East Central Avenue as police investigate a shooting after a body was found in the unit block of East Central Avenue Monday morning, June 11, 2018.

    The Blade/Dave Zapotosky
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    • Toledo police are investigating a shooting in North Toledo that left a teenager dead.

    WATCH: Toledo Police Lt. Kevan Toney and a neighbor describe scene of shooting

    The victim was identified as 16-year-old Kenneth Veley, according to Toledo Police Department spokesman Lt. Kevan Toney. The Veley youth’s body was found in a driveway in the unit block of East Central Avenue just before 9 a.m. Monday, according to police. Toledo Fire & Rescue Department personnel pronounced the teenager deceased on scene.

    As of Monday afternoon, police had no suspects and no motive, Lieutenant Toney said.

    RELATED: Father posts video on way to son's homicide scene | The Blade’s 2018 homicide report

    It was the city’s 21st homicide of the year and the fourth so far in June. In 2017 at this time, the same number of homicides had been reported.

    Neighbors on East Central said they heard several gunshots late Sunday night that sounded close by. Jimmie Martin, who lives across the street from where the body was found, said he heard gunshots at about 11 p.m. or midnight, and the sound started in the front of his house before moving to the back. He also heard a loud boom, he said.

    In the morning, Mr. Martin said his neighbors were hysterical, and when he ran over to see what was wrong, he saw the body. A bullet hole was also visible in the side of a car parked in front of the body.

    Lieutenant Toney said three gunshots were reported at 12:22 a.m. Monday in the area of Elm Street and Central Avenue, but the caller thought the shots were in the distance. Officers searched the area but didn’t find anything, and no other calls about the potential gunshots were reported. Investigators are looking into the possibility that the shots fired call may be related to the Veley youth’s death.

    Shell casings were found at the scene on East Central, Lieutenant Toney said. The Lucas County Coroner’s Office will conduct an autopsy.

    Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stopper at 419-255-1111.

    Contact Kate Snyder at ksnyder@theblade.com, 419-724-6282 or on Twitter @KL_Snyder