Monday, July 03, 2006

Jason Reaven

On my ride to work yesterday morning from Jerusalem where I'd slept only two and a half hours, I was the only non-Arab non-male. Instead of joining 99 percent of public transportation in the hourly news update on Israel Radio, we listened to Muslim morning prayers. I prayed no-one would die that day from any side in this conflict. I didn't ask for world peace, I just asked for a day without casualties.

I should be honest that it was just one of those quick prayers, the kind that pops into your head as more of a thought than a proclamation and festers around for a while until it feels like a legitime request for god, complete with ultimatums and promises.

My sister left me a message sometime in the middle of the morning, something about crazy news. When I called her back she asked me if I remembered Jason Reaven from camp. It took a minute to connect name and face and character, but when I did I remembered a really nice guy a couple years younger than me who walked around with a guitar and made everyone feel good.

Three masked men knocked on his door in the middle of the night last Thursday, and tied up his roommates with duct tape and clothes, and then robbed them. Jason came out of his room and asked the men what they were doing there. They shot him in the head.

In an instant. The robbers fled. His friend broke out of the bindings and ran to a neighbor's house to get help. In an instant, in a nice neighborhood, to a nice kid in Ohio.

I read some articles about it. They all read like an article about a 22-year-old man who was shot in the head by robbers who then fled. If you have any information, contact the police. Another tragedy, in an instant, paths crossed, snap decisions, then the unbelievable. Not just a story. Not just a news article. A person.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

whom ever wrote this please email me at mreaven@aol.com i want to say that this is very nice and i want to thank you personally
thank
max reaven
jason reavens little brother

3SB said...

Akron police detectives arrested three suspects and issued warrants on a fourth Monday night in connection with the fatal shooting of an Akron resident June 22.

University of Akron student and musician Jason Reaven, 22, died from a gunshot wound to his head at his residence on Goodhue Drive during the robbery shortly before 3 a.m. June 22.

Lt. Rick Edwards said Michael Mullen Jr., 27, and Jason Cordell Jones, 22, both of Akron, were charged with aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and kidnapping.

Meagan Brown, 25, of Twinsburg, was charged with complicity to commit aggravated burglary and complicity to commit aggravated robbery for assisting in the in teh incident.

All three were being held in the Summit County Jail.

Warrants were issued for the arrest of Kevin Darnell Roddy, 22, of Akron. Roddy is wanted for aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and kidnapping. Edwards said Roddy should be considered armed and dangerous.

Information on Roddy should be forwarded to the Akron Police Department detective bureau at 330-375-2490 or by calling 1-866-4-WANTED or the Summit County CrimeStoppers at 330-434-COPS.

Copyright © 2006 Akron Beacon Journal, All Rights Reserved.

Anonymous said...

Jason was good ppl. Please email the family for me. I want to be anonymous, but am interested in the whole truth and justice for this tragidy. What I think I know - Roddy is not sum innocent bystander .... but sumhow he always avoids blame ? below report from apd archive -- charges never went anywhere... mistaken identity? or wah-wah it wasnt me? I dint know it was a real gun.... I dint know it was real bullets. Ppl need to take responsibility for ther criminal behavior and usin guns like sum videogame, not blame evryunels when things go very very wrong.

Felony reports for the weekend events 11/14/2005
.

Kevin RODDY, 21, 338 Beechwood Ave., was charged with Carrying a Concealed Weapon in Motor Vehicle, Drug Abuse Crack Cocaine, and Weapons under Disability. The police were called to a shots fired call. Kevin was pointed out as the shooter. He was found to be in possession of a loaded gun. He also had drugs and an open container inside the vehicle

Anonymous said...

Just so you know that case about Kevin Roddy with the possession of a loaded gun actually was a case of mistaken identity. It never happened, as Kevin was not the actual person, this was later confirmed which is why the charges never went anywhere.

Anonymous said...

I AM JASONS MOTHER..THANK-YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS ABOUT MY SON..YOU SPOKE THE TRUTH..I WISH SOMEONE WOULD GIVE ME ANY INFO ON THE CONECTION OF MY SON AND THESE PEOPLE..WELL, I STRUGLE ON EVERY-DAY PRAYING FOR SOME RELIEF..THANK-YOU..L

Anonymous said...

I had the pleasure of having Jason as a friend, he was an amazing person, I think about him all the time. I just know that he is smiling down from heaven.

Anonymous said...

Funny how people leave out important details in tragedies such as these. In no way does anyone deserve what happened, but at least tell the full story.

The robber only took place because it was a drug house. When you decide to sell drugs from your home, you also make yourself a target for things such as these.