Columbus park will stay closed on weekends through November after gun violence
Carver Park will remain closed on weekends through Nov. 1, due to safety concerns, the Columbus City Council voted Tuesday night.
The council voted 7-0 to close Carver Park on Saturdays and Sunday for an additional 30 days due to safety concerns. It will open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday until Nov. 1.
The vote comes at the end of the 30-day weekend closure that council members unanimously approved Aug. 31.
District 4 Councilor Toyia Tucker proposed the initial closure. She told the Ledger-Enquirer she was concerned about the safety of people in the park after two homicides there this year.
“The calls that I get from the neighbors are that there are shootings throughout the day,” Tucker said in a previous interview with the Ledger-Enquirer. “The increased crime is on the weekends ... there are shootings, mostly on Saturday and Sunday and, what we saw that occurred two weekends (ago), that happens every weekend.”
On Aug. 21, Andrea Ellis, 44, was one of three people shot while attending an event at Carver Park. She died three days later while being treated at Piedmont Columbus Regional. Her death was the 46th homicide of 2021 for Columbus.
Sixteen-year-old Corey Jones was shot while visiting the park on Feb. 23. He died on Feb. 25, the 13th homicide of the year.
On Aug. 31, Tucker told the Ledger-Enquirer that she planned to work with Columbus Police Chief Freddie Blackmon, Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman and Columbus Parks and Recreation Director Holli Browder to obtain a five-year report on how many calls have been received in reference to shootings, car break-ins and possible criminal acts at Carver Park. She also said she was pushing for the installation of 360-view cameras during the 30-day closure.
The L-E has asked Tucker for any updates on the information requested about the park.
This story was originally published September 28, 2021 at 2:48 PM.
CORRECTION: This story was corrected to reflect that the city council was considering closing the park for weekends until Nov. 1, not permanently.
