The hurt 'will never go away': Family of man killed by youth violence, one year later

Exactly one year after the fatal shooting of a man in Millvale, a family is still reeling from the ramifications of youth violence in Cincinnati.

Donnell Steele, 30, was shot and killed at the 2100 block of Millvale Court on Feb. 18, 2021, just down the street from where he was born, said his mother, Juanita Steele. He was one of more than a dozen victims killed last year in an unprecedented wave of homicides involving juvenile offenders.

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Steele's death was part of a string of fatal shootings connected to a then-14-year-old boy who had run away from his home in an effort to avoid law enforcement, according to court documents.

But more important than how he died is how he lived. Steele was a man devoted to his family, Juanita Steele said. He was a father, a son and a brother.

"He was a was a lovable person, (he) would do anything for anybody," Juanita Steele said of her son.

Steele's friends and family gathered near the scene of his murder Friday evening to honor the one-year anniversary of his death.

The gathering seemed to be as much a celebration of Steele’s life as it was a commemoration of his death. There was music, laughter, hugging and bouquets of blue, purple and silver balloons.

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It was also, at times, a tearful affair with loved ones sharing their memories of Steele.

Juanita Steele said the days leading up to the anniversary of her son's death were hard. She had to leave work early Thursday because she couldn't stop crying and she stayed up late into the night looking at pictures and watching home videos.

She's spoken with other parents who've lost their children to violence. Those parents have even talked about getting together but she says she isn't ready for that just yet.

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"That is a hurt that will never go away," Juanita Steele said. "I thought that my kids would always bury me."

"You gotta be strong," she said. "It's a hard pill to swallow."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Youth violence: Donnell Steele's family reels from loss one year later