[image-1]Monday evening, MarShawn McCarrel fatally shot himself on the steps of the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. McCarrel, a widely known activist and poet in the area, was 23.

From the New York Daily News:

McCarrel, who had recently worked with Black Lives Matter, helped organize protests in Ohio after a Missouri cop shot and killed unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in 2014.

He also worked with youth mentorship programs and launched an nonprofit group that gives meals to Ohio’s homeless.

“All everyone needs is love,” he told 614 Columbus in 2014, referring to his work with the Feed the Streets. “That’s a human being. That’s a pulse. We’re feeding everyone, we’re sending the message — today I got you; tomorrow, I could be right there.”

Columbus Alive published an interview with him in late 2014.

A GoFundMe account has been arranged for McCarrel’s family. 

This article appears in Feb 3-9, 2016.

Eric Sandy is an award-winning Cleveland-based journalist. For a while, he was the managing editor of Scene. He now contributes jam band features every now and then.

2 replies on “Activist Commits Suicide on Steps of Ohio Statehouse”

  2. I pray this helps make a change. Praying for healing in our nation and real justice that this young man just gave his life for.

Comments are closed.