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Volume 45, Number 38 WIN SION -SALEM, N .C. THURSDAY, May 30, 2019
WSPD solicits community’s help to solve
string of senseless shootings
BY TEVIN STINSQN
THE CHRONICLE
The Winston-Salem
Police Department is call
ing on the community to
help find the culprits be
hind a string of violent
shootings in recent weeks
that have led to multiple
injuries and the deaths of
Jalen Chavon Cockerham
and Fred Douglas Hawkins
III.
During a press con
ference last week, Chief
Catrina Thompson gave
details on three separate
violent shootings that are
believed to be connected.
The first occurred around
1:30 a.m. on Sunday, April
7. The Winston-Salem Po
lice Department (WSPD)
received calls of a shooting
in the downtown area near
Nova Lounge on North
Cherry Street. Upon arriv
al, officers found multiple
victims suffering from gun
shot wounds.
Thompson said they
later determined that seven
people had been shot dur
ing the incident, at least
three different handguns
were used, and nearly a
Fred Douglas Hawkins
Jalen Charon Cookerham
dozen spent shell casings
were collected from the
scene. Two of the handguns
were later recovered by the
WSPD and one person was
arrested and charged with
possession of a firearm by
a convicted felon. Thomp
son said, “Thanks to the ef
forts of local medical pro
viders, the victims in this
incident all survived and
are continuing to recover
from their injuries.”
Six days later, on Sat
urday, April 13, shots rang
out in the 2400 block of
Ivy Avenue. Detectives
later learned that while a
children’s birthday party
was being held, gunshots
began to echo through
Bloom Park. More than 50
spent shell casings were
recovered from the scene
and it was determined at
least five firearms were
discharged during the in
cident.
Despite the heavy ex
change of gunfire during
the second incident, no
one was injured. Thomp
son noted two firearms
have been recovered and
a warrant has been issued
for a person of interest in
the case.
The third senseless
shooting occurred around
11 p.m. on the night of
Saturday, May 18. Offi
cers were dispatched to the
4200 block of Cody Drive
after receiving informa
tion that multiple people
had been shot. It was later
determined that a cookout
was being held when gun-
fire erupted, sending near
ly 100 people in a scurry to
find safety.
Investigators on the
scene determined at least
six people were shot dur
ing the incident including
23-year-old Jalen Cock
erham, who died on the
scene. Twenty-six-year-
old Fred Hawkins III, who
was also shot during the
incident, died less than 72
hours later.
According to Thomp
son four firearms were
used and more than 80
spent shell casings were
recovered from the scene.
“Detectives have
worked virtually around
the clock since this inci
dent occurred on Saturday
night. In the days that fol
lowed, detectives have
seized five guns and made
one arrest for possession
of firearms by a convicted
felon,” continued Thomp
son. “We believe the three
events I just described
took less than two min
utes to occur. In those two
minutes, at least 13 people
were shot. Two of these
people lost their lives.
“A minimum of 16 fire-
arms were discharged and
more than 140 shots were
fired.”
The weapons used dur
ing these three incidents
range from semiautomatic
pistols and rifles to revolv
ers. Thompson said ballis
tic evidence gathered at the
crime scenes and other evi-
See Shooting on A2
TWA bids farewell with annual Veterans
Name Reading Ceremony
Triad Vietnam Veterans Association disbanding after more than three decades
BY.TEVIN STINSON
THECHRONICLE
For the past 30 years,
the Triad Vietnam Veterans
Association (TWA) has
celebrated Memorial Day
by reading the names of
the 499 military vets from
Winston-Salem and For
syth County who paid the
ultimate sacrifice protect
ing our country and who
are honored at the Law
rence Joel Veterans Memo
rial (LJVM) Coliseum.
And on Monday the
organization held the cer
emony for the last time.
TVVA is planning to dis
band this year.
Founded in 1978, the
TWA was
give a voice
formed to
to Vietnam
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Photos by Tevin Stinson
Mayor Alien Joines addresses the crowd during the an
nual veterans name reading ceremony, May 20.
veterans who didn’t feel
welcomed after returning
home from combat.
Since its inception,
TVVA has helped veter
ans across the Triad in
need and raised more than
$40,000 for several chari
table organizations in the
area, including the Ronald
McDonald House. TVVA
also sponsors the city’s an
nual Veterans Day Parade
held downtown.
After serving the com
munity for three decades
and honoring our local
fallen heroes since 1981,
2019 will be the organiza
tion’s last ceremony. With
only five members, Presi
dent Richard Speas said
they felt it was time to call
it quits. He said although
TVVA is disbanding, the
friendships and bonds
they’ve built over the years
will live on forever.
Before reading the
names of the veterans,
current TVVA members
talked about how the orga
nization helped them cope
when they returned home.
Army Veteran Len Lar
son said at a place in time
where he felt no one un
derstood him, TWA gave
him someone to talk to.
“I joined shortly af
ter returning home from
the war and it gave me
somebody I could talk to.
Someone who has never
been in the service doesn’t
understand the camarade
rie between us guys who
served, especially during
war time,” Larson said.
U.S. Navy and Army
Reserve Veteran Joe Zim
merman said he was lucky
enough to find the Triad
Vietnam Veterans Associa
tion in the late 1980s and
the members have been
like a part of his family
ever since.
“This organization has
meant a lot to me and also
my wife. Just a great group
of people,” he said.
Mayor Allen Joines
was also in attendance
during the TVVA farewell
ceremony on Memorial
Day. Joines, who has at
tended the name reading
ceremony every year since
he was sworn in as mayor
in 2001, said it was sad
to see TVVA go. He said,
“It’s sad to see an end of an
era. For 30 years the Triad
Richard Speas, president of the Triad Vietnam Veterans
Association.
Viemam Veterans Asso
ciation has carried out this
event.
“What a great service
this organization has pro
vided for our community,
to our veterans and those
who ’have died who we
honor here today. To Wal
ter Emory, Richard Speas
and all the members of the
Triad Vietnam Veterans
Association, I salute you.”
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