‘I am beyond frustrated’; RPD chief speaks about six recent murders

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ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester Police Chief David Smith and Mayor Malik Evans said the community must come together to work on non-violent conflict resolution following six recent murders throughout the city.

The most recent was a triple shooting Monday morning on Rialto Street on the city’s northeast side that left a man and a woman dead. At a news conference on Monday, the mayor and the chief pleaded for anyone with information to come forward.

“I am beyond frustrated that we are here, talking about more senseless dispute-related homicides,” Smith said.

Mayor Evans said the community needs to come together and realize that this level of violence is never normal. There was another double murder during a triple shooting on Saturday morning on Lyell Avenue on the city’s northwest side. Before that, a man was shot and killed on Avenue D on the city’s northeast side.

No suspects are in custody in any of those murders. Smith pleaded for anyone with information or video to come forward, saying that community members are critical to hold violent offenders accountable.

Evans said he has faith that community members will come forward and police will soon make arrests. He said that, for the string of three murders that happened two weekends ago, police have made arrests in all three cases.

“We’re going to solve all of them. …The community has been great at giving information,” Evans said.

Anyone with information or video can share it anonymously by calling 911 or MajorCrimes@cityofrochester.gov.

Police have already made an arrest in one murder over the weekend. A 71-year-old man is charged with murder in the deadly stabbing of a 68-year-old. It happened at Winton Gardens Towers on Sunday evening on the city’s east side.

Evans said community members need to learn how to resolve conflicts without using weapons, saying that the vast majority of homicides in the city are a result of disputes that escalated.

In total, there have been 21 homicides this year. Compared to this time last year, there were three fewer, 18 homicides. You can see the full news conference here: