Cleveland, OH
‘This is how people die’: Woman attacked while running in Rocky River Reservation
ROCKY RIVER, Ohio — Metroparks police are investigating a violent attack in the Rocky River Reservation that left a woman hospitalized.
The Rocky River Reservation is a popular spot for running, walking or simply enjoying a picnic. One of those regulars was Vani Shukla.
She was supposed to finish her run near the South Mastick Picnic Area, but it was cut short. Now, she’s not sure if she’ll run that route alone again, reminding others to be cautious.
A warning: this story contains potentially disturbing content.
For the past year and a half, running has been Shukla’s passion as she trains for her first marathon, scheduled for October. She runs with many groups and often makes her laps at the Rocky River Reservation.
“Like 90% of my runs are in the reservation, like almost every day. I really love it there, it’s like one of my favorite places in Cleveland,” said Shukla.
But she never imagined one of those runs would turn into a nightmare.
“That was, I will say it is probably the scariest moment of my whole life,” said Shukla.
It happened Saturday, just before sunset. Shukla was pushing for her longest distance yet: 20 miles. She told News 5 she had taken all the safety precautions she normally would.
“I had my location shared. I told people where I was,” Shukla said. “I had a friend on his way to pick me up at the end of my run.”
But around mile 17.5, she says her run was violently interrupted.
“He came up from behind me, grabbed my shoulders, put his hands around my neck, and I couldn’t even scream,” Shukla said. “I tried to reach for, like my fanny pack that had my phone in it so I could emergency try to dial 911, but, like, It all happened so quick.”
Shukla said she fought as hard as she could—until she blacked out.
“As soon as I realized, like, oh, I’m not getting out of this. I’m like, this is how people die. That was, like, the thought that I had in the moment, I was like, oh, this is it,” said Shukla.
Moments later, she said she woke up face down on the trail.
“I could tell like I was bleeding. Everywhere I looked around, nobody was there. I like, saw that I still had my phone. Everything’s covered in blood,” said Shukla.
She said she immediately got up and ran toward the main road.
“I started sprinting up the road because my friend was supposed to meet me in a mile at South Mastick Park,” Shukla said.
Shukla shared a photo with News 5 showing her face after the attack, covered in blood. She was taken to the hospital and treated for a broken nose, cuts and bruises.
While she’s grateful to be alive, she never expected something like this to happen in a place she’s run every week. She said she even saw other families on the trail just minutes before the attack.
“I felt safe running all the time. You don’t really think that it’s real until it happens to you, or I guess, someone like close to you,” Shukla said.
The Metroparks say the attack is under investigation. Patrols have been increased. They issued a statement reading:
“Our thoughts go out to the victim, and we are committed to bringing the person or persons responsible to justice,” The statement read.
Shukla says healing — both physical and emotional — will take time. But she refused to let this stop her.
“I see the same place that I’ve always loved and I will run there again. I will not alone, not for a while,” said Shukla.
Shukla’s message: Keep running, but stay alert.
This case remains under investigation. Metroparks police have not yet released any suspect details.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers have traded out of the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Cavs had the No. 29 overall selection on Tuesday night. But Cavs President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman decided to trade that selection to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for No. 34 overall and a future second-round selection.
At No. 29 overall, the Cavs will send the Kings UConn forward Alex Karaban.
“It’s in the distant future,” a source told cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor about the future second-round selection acquired in this deal.
Reports from Fedor surfaced early Tuesday morning that the Cavaliers could be interested in bailing out of the first round. By late Tuesday night, Altman was able to execute a trade that sets the Cavs up for further flexibility in the offseason.
Why the Cavs traded out of No. 29 overall
The Cavaliers would’ve owed the No. 29 pick a guaranteed salary just under $2 million.
Because the Cavs are in the lone second apron – and could be looking to shed salary this offseason – ditching the No. 29 overall pick saves the Cavaliers a couple of bucks.
Second round picks are non-guaranteed, two-way deals. That gives the Cavs the financial flexibility they’re looking for.
What the Cavs could do at No. 34 overall
This is a talented draft class. A few high profile players slid into the second round.
UNC center Henri Veesaar is still waiting to hear his name called. The 7-foot center could be a backup to Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Duke wing Isaiah Evans is also still waiting to hear his name called, and could fill a big position of need for the Cavaliers. Arkansas guard Maleek Thomas was consistently mocked to Cleveland, and he slid to Day 2 as well.
There’s always a chance that Altman could trade back again.
Second round draft picks are valuable because they could be used as sweeteners in trades this offseason. For example, in exchange for a team taking on the contract of a player like Dennis Schroder or Max Strus, the Cavaliers might want to attach a second round draft pick to make the package more appealing to a trade partner.
Flexibility should be the name of the game for Altman as he tries to improve Cleveland’s roster this offseason. The Cavs won’t have a first round draft pick until 2028. But bailing out of Tuesday night’s first round will give Altman plenty of options on Wednesday and into the rest of the offseason.
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University of Minnesota star wrestler Max McEnelly won the 2026 NCAA national championship at 184 pounds, and he’s now set to face superstar Bo Nickal at Real American Freestyle (RAF) 12 on August 22nd in Cleveland, Ohio.
THIS MATCH UP🔥
Bo Nickal takes on Max McEnelly August 22 in Cleveland at RAF12.
Tickets in bio. Stream exclusively on @foxnation pic.twitter.com/loEWdeb5pZ
— Real American Freestyle (@RAFWrestlingUSA) June 22, 2026
McEnelly is preparing for his redshirt junior season with the Gophers, and Nickal is 9-1 as a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, following a storied collegiate wrestling career at Penn State. Their freestyle wrestling match will be contested at 215 pounds.
RAF is an American freestyle wrestling promotion that was founded by Chad Bronstein, Terri Francis, and Hulk Hogan in 2025. The August 22nd show at Rocket Arena will be the one-year anniversary of the promotion. The fights will be broadcast on FOX Nation.
Nickal most recently competed at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House, where he defeated Kyle Daukas via first-round finish. He’s now 6-1 in his UFC career. His match against McEnelly will be his second under RAF. He defeated Jacob Cardenas via decision at the promotion’s first show last summer.
Nickal is 6-foot-1, and he wrestled at 197 pounds at Penn State. He competes at the 185-pound middweight division in the UFC, so he might have a slight size advantage over McEnelly, who’s 5-foot-10. The event will be a high-profile opportunity, as McEnelly continues to establish himself as one of the best pound-for-pound wrestlers in the country.
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CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A man was killed Friday after being shot at a gas station on the city’s East side.
Cleveland police said they responded to the Sunoco in the 3300 block of E. 93rd St. around 8:30 p.m.
According to police, officers were in the area when they heard gunshots.
When officers arrived at the gas station, they found the victim with gunshot wounds.
Officers immediately began to provide first aid until EMS arrived and transported him to University Hospitals.
Carl Formby, 49, died from his injuries at the hospital.
Officers said they found two firearms and several casings at the scene.
The Cleveland Police Homicide Unit is investigating the incident.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
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