Mourners have left flowers, candles and a cross for Michael Onley, who was shot in the head near the back deck at Outsiders Bar on South Main Street.
“He was so great. Why? We need the violence to stop,“ said Mariam Luciano. “All I can say; pray for everyone. The bad and the good, that’s all I can say.”
Authorities only said they are following up on leads for the deadly shooting, but witnesses said it was drive-by and a single shot was fired from a car.
WCLH-FM Radio Station Manager Renee Loftus told Newswatch 16 that man who many people knew as “DJ MO” was behind the microphone and a turntable for 13 years, for a beloved hip hop show on the Wilkes-University radio station.
“He not only stayed here for 13 years and became legendary here, he would actually mentor the students. If we needed help in any way he would always wanted to help. He would offer,” said Loftus. “Especially with the violence that’s going on in Wilkes-Barre, it’s just ironic that a man like MO, who was so against violence and such a peace-loving man, was gunned down in this manner.”
Wilkes-University Senior Joe Pugliese said Onley was an inspiring mentor.
“I don’t think it was necessarily a job for him, I think it was just him going around, sharing what he loved to do with other people,” said Pugliese. “He’d always be in here, his son would be here all the time, you know he was a loving father. The fact that he’s gone now is just, it’s scary. It’s a harsh reminder of, sometimes these things happen in the real world. It’s an absolute shame because the world and Wilkes-Barre lost an absolutely great man.”
Map of 2013 deadly shootings in Wilkes-Barre:
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