CANAL WINCHESTER, Ohio – A new soccer mini-pitch at the Indian Trail and Winchester Trail Elementary campus now stands as a memorial to two young siblings killed in a shooting nearly four years ago.
Demitrius Wall-Neal, 9, and Londynn Wall-Neal, 6, died along with their mother’s boyfriend, Charles Wade, 22, when a suspect fired nearly 70 bullets into their car on Kodiak Drive in Canal Winchester.
The project was led by Scott Waibel, a Canal Winchester alumnus and employee of Musco Lighting. Waibel said the idea came to him last year as he marked his 20th anniversary with the company.
“They give a nice gift, and I thought, I don’t need a trip; I travel for a living,” Waibel said. “So I said, let’s just start with that as seed money.”
Instead of a traditional anniversary gift, Waibel used the funds to help install the soccer mini-pitch. Musco’s business partner, the U.S. Soccer Foundation, also contributed. The project was completed about a year and a half after it was proposed.
“I remembered what the mother said when she was in tears. She said, ‘I just want somebody to remember their names,’” Waibel said. “I knew I had to do something, but I didn’t know what.”
The mini-pitch features messages and inspirational words surrounding the playing area, which Waibel hopes will inspire local children.
“I think if they had a goal in front of them, that’s what changed my life,” Waibel said. “Ultimately, I hope their lives are changed, they have a purpose for living and a direction for life.”
Brittany Jones, the children’s mother, said the memorial brings her comfort.
“I’m just overwhelmed with joy that no one is forgetting Demitrius and Londynn,” Jones said.
Watching children use the facility has been especially meaningful for Waibel.
“To see the kids play on the pitch is more reward than anything I could’ve spent money on,” he said.
Columbus police are still investigating the case and are seeking information that could help solve it. Anyone with information is asked to call the homicide unit at 614-645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS (8477).
