Sherrell V. Wheatley died last Saturday at an area hospital after she was shot in the head while walking home after feeding a neighbor’s dogs. Police called Wheatley an innocent victim of an apparent drive-by shooting at 866 N. Euclid Ave.
Three doors down and 11.5 years ago, an 89-year-old woman was shot in both legs while watching television at 856 N. Euclid Ave.
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Louise T. Brooks was hit at about 10 p.m. on Nov. 29, 2006 by stray bullets in what police said at the time was a drive-by shooting that struck several homes and vehicles.
When Brooks’ nephew, Michael Lark, heard about Wheatley’s death last weekend, his mind raced back to 2006 and his “Aunt Lou.”
“My blood pressure went up, and I started steaming, and I’m like, ‘No, not this again,’” said Lark, 58, of Dayton. “What happened? And then they say she was an innocent bystander, just like my aunt, and it was hard to take again. It was like reliving my aunt’s (shooting) all over again.”
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Dayton officers said at the time that they found Brooks after no one answered her door. They said they forced their way in and found her with two gunshot wounds.
Brooks was taken to a hospital in critical condition and was later upgraded to stable condition. She died on Feb. 27, 2007 — on Lark’s mother’s birthday — at age 90, according to an online obituary.
Lark said his aunt virtually died from the shooting because she couldn’t fully recover. He said police detectives weren’t able to solve the crime.
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“I’m a God-fearing person, and they say turn the other cheek,” Lark said. “But it’s kind of hard to turn the (other) cheek when nobody says anything and they kill somebody — elderly and babies. Uh-uh, something needs to be done with them.
“If I had my way … because I’ll never forgive them. They better hope God forgives them. Family, to this day, we have no answers.”
Efforts to get information on the 2006 case from Dayton police and the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office have not yet been successful. In Dayton police’s computer system, the case is listed as closed.
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Police are looking for a silver sedan in the Wheatley case, and the public has been asked to call (937) 222-STOP (7867) or Melissa Schloss, the case detective, at (937) 333-1078.
Police said they have no suspects and few solid leads in Wheatley’s death, which they termed a “heinous” and “sad” crime.
“What we are asking is anyone in the neighborhood that saw any of this or has any information on this, please contact the Dayton Police Department,” said Lt. Gregg Gaby.
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Lark said he knows what Wheatley’s family is going through.
“That just kept bringing it all up,” Lark said of Dayton’s most recent drive-by shooting.
“It’s heart-breaking. It keeps the family upset. … We believe that, before it’s all over with, somebody’s going to talk.”
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