Waves of fighting/running teenagers and riot police just west of the middle school ruined what is usually a fun and safe night for us.

I live over here and unfortunately it was like a war zone! Big tanker police trucks roamed back and forth down warrensville ctr rd. Police from at least three outside cities and the sherif were called. I can't believe this happened in this great neighborhood! I just moved here in March to get away from madness like this! Sad!

The west side of the school was indeed a freakshow. The kids stampeded twice. I didn't know girls in club dresses and four inch heels could move that fast.

Shooting and everything! It was crazy!

I am so sick and tired going out and not being able to enjoy yourself with the family,I was pure Hell in Shaker at the Fireworks,Fighting,Shooting,screaming,running and people getting ran over,people fighting on top of cars, running through people yards scaring people and the elderly,policeman everywhere + the Sheriff Dept. Big Tanks to try and disperse
the mob scene.It was an atrocity.So ashamed to be Black.Everytime we gather for a fun time out it = disaster.I am truly ashamed to be black.

It's the next day and I'm still not over it! I bet u everything started on twitter or Facebook!

One of the above comments has been deleted because it violates our Terms of Use. Also, as I commented on another story, we're waiting to hear back from police about available details.

My wife and I were at the fireworks last night when a full riot broke out. People were running everywhere and the scene turned ugly and violent. We made it back to a friends home half way through the fireworks. It's very clear to us that Shaker hts and Cleveland hts are no longer safe communities.
The big question we have is why this is not getting coverage in the press? This is a major story and there is no reporting on what happened. This is our last gathering in Shaker Hts we won't go back. It's very sad that the community is that unsafe.

Don't understand y my comment was deleted that talk about what a way to celebrate freedom. I also said that MLK JR is probably turning in his grave. I am an African American if that makes a difference, but I feel that we ALL should feel this way. People fought for our freedom, black and white and this situation makes me feel that their efforts were made in vain. Instead of deleting my message, address it. Figure out what we can do about it so we won't have to go through this next year. Just agreeing with Wayne and his comment was not deleted. I am ashamed also!

At Kieth, a billionaire does not make me feel any more pride for I don't define pride based on money. There r many people who tried to change our conditions, our history is so much deeper than people becoming successful just to make money. Pride is the way one lives, whether one is rich or poor. We have lost touch at the meaning of it all, why people sacrificed their lives for me to sit at a lunch counter and now we act a fool at the lunch counter. So much deeper, so much.

Donna, the comment was deleted because of a sentence that intimated that you understand why black people were "barricaded" from certain places. That was taking it a step too far, in my view. You and Wayne can certainly be "ashamed" of being Black and voice that opinion if you like, but our terms of use call for editors to remove comments that promote racism. Discussing why people should or should not have been allowed to go certain places based on race borders on racism, regardless your ethnicity. Read the full terms of use here — http://shakerheights.patch.com/terms

Yes. I guess I was getting emotional. The point I was trying to make was there was a time that Black People could not go to certain places around the city without being harassed. And now that has significantly gone away and some of us don't appreciate it. Mostly the younger generation who just don't understand what us 40 something people had to go through. Thanks for keeping me grounded!

My husband and I were able to enjoy the Shaker Heights fireworks with our 5 yr old along. It was our first time going to a fireworks "show" as a family. Thankfully we saw absolutely no negative behavior in the area where we sat with many other families. We had a nice night and apparently missed seeing a lot of negative stuff happening. Glad we took friends' advice and found a spot away from the drama. No difficulties on the travelling at the end either....got home to where we live in Cleveland Heights with no problem.
I was just telling a friend that I feel very thankful that my daughter has so far been able to experience so many positive settings living here in the Heights amid diversity every day.
I hope these issues will be addressed and any problems solved so the fireworks can continue every year. There are not many options in the area it seems for fireworks to see nearby.

I was not at the event. We were with friends in Akron for the evening. My family and I have lived in Shaker Heights for 8 years. In reading about what happened and the comments, I am surprised that there is a blanket statement (more than once) that "our community is no longer safe". What does that really mean? Was is safer the day before? Is it less safe today than it was yesterday? There is no community that is free from crime, violence and situations that are scary. When we moved here from Cleveland we understood that living in community (anywhere) means there will be problems - so moving to a suburb farther away from Cleveland or Shaker is not going to mean avoiding or escaping problems that accompany gatherings of large groups of people.