Cleveland Heights mayor expresses condolences after fatal shooting, urges collective action on illegal guns

Cleveland Heights — Mayor Serran opened the Jan. 6 City Council meeting with condolences for the family of Edith Moore, who was shot and killed in Cleveland Heights. The mayor urged cooperation with police and called for community and policy responses to reduce the presence of illegal firearms.

“We are mourning the passing of Miss Edith Moore,” the mayor said, adding that “losing a loved one is tragic and difficult” and that the city police “are investigating this crime” and “we will be making progress.” The mayor said he had been in communication with the county prosecutor and called for “maximum accountability” in the case.

The mayor linked the shooting to the wider issue of guns entering communities and urged both individual responsibility—securely storing firearms—and collective policy action to “make it more difficult for gun manufacturers…to potentially profit from this market.” He said a city alone has limited powers to stop the flow of illegal guns and stressed intergovernmental cooperation.

Council members offered condolences during council comments. Councilor Maddox said the Moore family and the Noble neighborhood have rallied around the family and asked residents to keep the family in their prayers. Vice President Russell said Moore was 74 years old, called the death “tragic,” and urged better firearm storage and community responsibility.

The mayor closed his remarks by asking residents to cooperate with police and urged a “zero tolerance” approach to illegal firearms. There were no formal policy votes on firearms at the meeting; council members framed their responses primarily as condolences and calls for cooperation with law enforcement.