‘It’s like we’re reliving it all over’: Family, friends remember Ron Gee

by Breanna Cooper, Claire Rafford and Mary Claire Molloy

The aftermath of a homicide might not seem like the time for a community barbecue, but Ron Gee thought it was exactly the time. A longtime advocate of ending gun violence, Gee provided food for his neighbors as well as resources for grief counseling, rental assistance and myriad other programs.

“These barbecues kept hope alive in many areas that had grown hopeless and set the tone for what we mean as a neighborhood,” Ashley Gurvitz, chief executive officer of the Alliance for Northeast Unification, said. “He made sure that their sense of community stayed intact.”

That sense of community led Gee to start Cease Fire Indy, a nonprofit focused on ending gun violence, after losing too many friends in shootings. On July 18, Gee became a victim of the violence he had spent almost a decade trying to combat. Gee, 40, was shot and killed at a Citgo gas station on East 38th Street and Arlington Avenue just before 11 a.m., according to a police report.

“He loved his city, and he had a heart for people,” family friend Karen Thomas said. “This man worked tirelessly to help end gun violence here in the city, and when he had the resources, he used them to help people.”

Ashia Williams stayed late into the evening at the gas station where her cousin was killed. When his family and friends saw his blue Chevy Tahoe on the news during the early reports of the shooting, they knew Gee was the victim. 

Williams remembers her cousin as a spiritual man, recalling how he volunteered at Wheeler Mission downtown. She also remembered driving him to court to get his record expunged and the joy he expressed after getting his license back after five years. 

“He got out and changed his life,” Williams said. “He’s trying to show other young Black men they can do the same thing.”  

Beyond losing friends, violence prevention became even more personal to Gee after he was shot in 2018. 

“Today he was shot three times. When he got shot the very first time on Christmas Eve 2018 he was shot three times also,” Williams said. “It’s like we’re just reliving it all over.”

City-County Councilor Keith Graves (District 9) met Gee a year after the shooting at a grocery store opening on the city’s east side. Graves was moved by his story and advocacy, and the two became close over the years. 

“Ron cared,” Graves said. “Ron got off of his couch, Ron dug into his own pockets, and Ron did some things. And for that, I'll always be indebted to Ron, because he is an example of doing what you can with what you have.”

Although his activism work required him to spend a lot of time focused on tragedies, family and friends remember the father of three for his sense of humor. 

Local comedian Nate Robinson started working with Gee in April 2022 when Gee opened his east side restaurant 1313 Eatery. On opening night, Gee launched the Chicken and Chuckles comedy show series with Robinson at the helm. 

“He was silly,” Robinson said with a laugh. “He reminded me of a preacher when he spoke, because everybody got quiet and listened. We would have freestyles at the open mics over a hip-hop beat, and he always started it off. He was just silly and fun to be around.”

Gee’s sense of humor also stuck out to Graves. 

“If you knew Ron, you knew Ron,” Graves said. “He was fun. I want people to know that. If you look at some of his marketing efforts for his restaurant, they will have you laughing." 

As tributes pour in from friends and community members, Thomas is confident that his impact has been felt throughout the city, not just the east side. 

“If you go down any street and say his name, they know it,” she said. 

While she’s grieving her friend — who was the son of her godfather — Thomas is also frustrated at the violence in the city. 

“When are we going to stop killing those who are trying to help us? When are y’all going to get it?” she asked. “Stop killing those who are trying to uplift the city.”
 

Mirror Indy reporter Breanna Cooper covers art and culture. Email her at breanna.cooper@mirrorindy.org. 

Mirror Indy reporter Mary Claire Molloy covers health. Reach her at 317-721-7648 or email maryclaire.molloy@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @mcmolloy7.

Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire at claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org or on social media @clairerafford.

This article first appeared on Mirror Indy and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.