Raleigh leaders want to ensure that greenways are safe after two gunned down on trail

More than a week after the mass shooting in Hedingham, Raleigh leaders are urging people to return to the Neuse River Greenway Trail.

2022-10-21

Two of the five victims were shot and killed on the trail.

More than a million people use the greenways in Raleigh every year. The stretch near Hedingham is usually busy.

And while the recent tragedy has impacted some people’s sense of security, the city says the benefits of the greenway far outweigh any safety concerns.

The 117 miles of greenway are a part of Raleigh’s identity.

“I love getting out," said cyclist Robert Hayes. "Especially this time of year.”

And sadly, now linked to the mass shooting, after Mary Marshall and Sue Karnatz were gunned down on the trail.

“It’s the first time I have ridden through the Hedingham section since then," said cyclist Mark Clay. "I just took a moment and prayed as I rode just for all the families involved.”

Clay is not letting the tragedy scare him away from what he loves.

“It could have happened anywhere,” Clay said.

Neither is Beverley Clark.

“Being in nature is part of the solution," Clark said. "It is part of how we heal as a community.”

Clark is an avid cyclist and chairperson of Raleigh Parks, Recreation & Greenway Advisory Board, which met Thursday for first time since the shooting.

“Our children and our community need more green time and less screen time. all of us,” said Clark.

Last year, more than 2.3 million people used the greenways in Raleigh. So far this year, nearly 1.3 million. More than 100,000 people have used the stretch of trail that runs through Hedingham.

“Our parks are safe and our greenways are safe," said Raleigh’s Parks & Recreation Director Stephen Bentley.

Still, the greenways are not without serious incidents. Last month, police found 21-year-old Rodney Clark dead on the Crabtree Creek Trail. It’s still unclear how he died. Two years ago, police say cyclist Chauncey Depew was stabbed and beaten to death on the Walnut Creek Trail in Southeast Raleigh. Depew’s death prompted police to launch a new Parks and Greenway unit, including 7 officers patrolling on bikes, horses and ATVs.

“The more aggravated side of crime is very narrow," Bentley said. "The number one safety issue we have are conflicts between bicyclists and pedestrians because the number of users. Either a bicyclist is going too fast or a jogger gets in the line of a bicyclist.”

While the trail is a bit quieter.

“Normally, a day like today, you might see triple the numbers I saw,” Clay said.

It remains a place of refuge and a place for this community to process all that’s been lost.

“You just need to take a breath and let your heart heal a little bit first wherever you go,” Clay said.

People who use the greenway are encouraged to travel in pairs, let others know where you’re going and to carry a cell phone in case of an emergency.

Raleigh police sent WRAL a statement today, saying they work with the sheriff's office and state highway patrol to monitor the greenway system.

They also have a greenway volunteer program that puts even more eyes on the trails on a daily basis.