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Connections
Connections

Maplewood Park shooting one year later

By Racquel Stephen,
Elissa Orlando, Veronica Volk, Julie Williams
Published July 28, 2025 at 2:08 PM EDT
Three people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a man at left has dark braids and is wearing a navy polo shirt; a woman at center has short dark hair and is wearing glasses and a white sleeveless top with black polka dots; a woman at right has short blonde hair and is wearing a leopard print turtleneck, black jeans and black strappy heels.
Gary Pudup
/
WXXI News
Keyvo Owens and Chiara Smith with host Racquel Stephen on "Connections" on Monday, July 28, 2025
A smiling woman with short blonde hair sits at a desk in front of a microphone wearing a gold necklace and green and white patterned dress.
David Griffin
/
WXXI News
Racquel Stephen guest hosting "Connections with Evan Dawson"

One year ago, families gathered for a summer barbecue in Maplewood Park. It was a moment meant for joy and connection that turned into tragedy.

More than 40 shots rang out. Five people were wounded. Two people were killed: 25-year-old Tyasia Manning, and 34-year-old Phylicia Council.

The incident left the community reeling. This hour, we reflect on what happened, what it means, and where we are now.

Our guests:

Connections
Racquel Stephen
Racquel Stephen is WXXI's health, equity and community reporter and producer. She holds a bachelor's degree in English literature from the University of Rochester and a master's degree in broadcasting and digital journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
See stories by Racquel Stephen
Elissa Orlando
Elissa Orlando is a producer for “Connections with Evan Dawson.” She returns part-time to WXXI News after stepping back from a long career in public media and in translational science.
See stories by Elissa Orlando
Veronica Volk
Veronica Volk is a senior producer and editor for WXXI News.
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Julie Williams
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.
See stories by Julie Williams