YOUNGSTOWN — The Rev. Kenneth Simon of New Bethel Baptist Church called Te’Nya McKinley, the 18-year-old Thiel College student who was shot to death June 9 in a parking area beside a building along Glenwood Avenue on the South Side a “positive role model to so many young people, a young lady who had a good head on her shoulders and knew what she wanted in life and was determined to pursue it.”

He framed much of his eulogy by calling her death her “graduation invitation,” explaining that her graduation is her life with God.

“I have heard nothing but good, positive and great things about this young lady that we celebrate today, who had so much potential, a kind, friendly, fun-loving young lady who was extremely intelligent, an excellent student, a young lady who was goal-oriented and purpose driven who had — and has a bright and promising future.”

He explained, saying “It doesn’t get any brighter than where she is right now.”

He said all of her family, “her community, her teachers, her professors, were all so proud of her because they knew she was an outstanding young lady who was going places.”

At Thiel, she was “studying to be a neurosurgeon,” Simon said.

“She wasn’t a troubled child, not one to engage in destructive or negative behavior,” he said. “She was not a disrespectful young lady or a mean or violent person but a good daughter, a Christian young lady, a positive role model for other young people to emulate.”

He said McKinley “was tragically taken from us by thoughtless, callous and misguided young people who have no respect for human life and no regard for the innocent victims of their violent and destructive actions.”

McKinley suffered a fatal gunshot wound in a car in a lot next to a building on Glenwood Avenue on the South Side during a violent time this month that saw five homicides in the city. Gunfire rang out while a “car meet” was taking place at that location near Sherwood Avenue, police said.

A conflict there led to roughly 100 gunshots being fired, police said. That is about how many bullet shell casings were found at the scene.

Police said multiple “car meets” took place that day in the city, describing a “car meet” as “vehicles and the people driving them disregarded traffic laws, the safety of themselves and others, and common sense.” Dozens of vehicles and people participated in the car meets in Youngstown that day, police stated in a press release.

During the eulogy, Simon said “the sad reality of the times in society we live in today is that we have so many young people who are disconnected from God. I’m just going to tell it like it is,” adding “They don’t know Him, don’t reverence Him, don’t have Him in their lives.”

He said “There is a reason they don’t know Him — because there are some parents who have brought children into this world who neglected what God commands and expects of a parent to do for the children they bring into the world. And that is to make sure that the children know Him and teach them His word.”

The Bible “instructs us to train up a child in the way he or she should go, to bring them up in the fear and admonition of the Lord. If we are going to bring a child into this world, then we have a responsibility to God and to the child to make sure that they know Him.”

Simon said the “good news” is that McKinley “knew God. She knew Him. She had a relationship with Him.” He said, “If you were around her, you knew she had a relationship with Jesus.”

Her death “didn’t really end her life because true believers don’t die,” he said, adding, “She lives on in a better place.”

He said some people may say how sad it is that McKinley “did not get to graduate from college. I’m here to let you know there will be a graduation celebration for Ms. Te’Nya McKinley. It’s going to be where she is right now because she has achieved the highest degree that only can be given to a child of God. She already got her BA degree. That’s born again for some of you who don’t know what I’m talking about. She did that while she was down here.

“And now she will be getting her master’s degree because she has gone on to live with the master, which makes this service not a funeral for her passing. This is a homegoing celebration and an invitation for all of us to be there for the graduation party she will be having up there. There is going to be a graduation party, you all. And today she is extending the invitation.”

CAR MEETS

Though the concept of a “car meet” may be new to Youngstown area residents, the Palm Beach, Florida, area has been dealing with them for a while now, according to the Channel 12 news in Palm Beach.

In Palm Beach, they also call them “street takers” and “street racing.”

“They just shut down north, south, east, west traffic just to do their donuts or whatever else they’re doing,” Rey Alonso, Florida director of the Beat The Heat program said, according to a February Channel 12 report.

“Not only are you of course impeding all the traffic, but the danger you’re putting on people. Many of those cars go out of control. You’ve got families, pedestrians, cars all around them. It’s just crazy.”

VIGIL: A Stop The Violence prayer vigil will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday at Glenwood Community Park on Glenwood Avenue near Sherwood Avenue. The campaign involves pastors and community leaders meeting to address community violence. The event will involve prayers for the community and the families of those who have been killed this year in the city.

Have an interesting story? Contact Ed Runyan by email at erunyan@vindy.com. Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, @TribToday.