City Council President James J. Ferrera Jr. said he also is concerned about the recent violence, and said citizens need to get involved in their community and report crime.
Police investigate the scene at 88-90 Commonwealth Ave. in Springfield late Friday where two people were shot.SPRINGFIELD – With seven people shot and one man killed in less than a week, the mayor said officials will “utilize everything at our disposal to quell this recent spike of gang, drug and gun violence.”
“Youth violence . . . It is the scourge of urban America,” Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said Saturday, a day after a shooting outside 90 Commonwealth Ave. that left one man with a bullet in his head, and another man shot in his leg.
Sarno, who said he lives about three blocks from where the shooting took place, said he was at the scene early Saturday morning.
“It seems to be a home invasion that is drug- and gang-related. It’s not a random act. Police are working it hard,” Sarno said.
Sarno said he will talk to Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet on Monday about the spike in violence. He said he would like to see an increased state police presence, to work alongside city police. Sarno said he would more of a “pronounced attack” in the lower Forest Park neighborhood.
Arrests have been made in the majority of the cases, but Sarno said he needs the community and parents “to step up and say they are not going to tolerate this in their neighborhood.” Earlier this week, Sarno called for a united effort to fight city crime.
City Council President James J. Ferrera Jr. said he also is concerned about the recent violence, and said citizens need to get involved in their community and report crime.
“It appears to be an unusual uptick in crime. Hopefully it will subside,” Ferrera said. “However, we must do more to address violent crime in our city.”
Ferrera said he wants to encourage more neighborhood crime watches in smaller areas, such as block by block, and focus on how police are being deployed.
“Finally there needs to be greater communication and feedback from both the Police Department and the neighborhood councils on what we can do to make our neighborhoods safer,” Ferrera said.
In the most recent incident on Friday night, the men were shot just before 11 p.m.
Police Sgt. John M. Delaney said two masked subjects entered the apartment with guns and investigators consider it a possible drug-related home invasion. The victims’ names have not been released and police say witnesses described two Hispanic males fleeing the scene on foot.
The victim who suffered a bullet wound to the head is in critical but stable condition. The second victim also is in stable condition, Delaney said.
The alleged ambush took place as Officer Darren Nguyen was headed into work for the midnight shift and heard the shots and the call come out over his portable radio.
“He was first on the scene right away to render first aid and secure the witnesses and crime scene,” Delaney said.
Police had strung tape around a multi-family building next door, at 88-90 Commonwealth Ave., Friday night and appeared to be concentrating on the first-floor unit.
No arrests have been made. Lt. Thomas Kennedy and Det. Timothy Kenney along with other members of the Robbery and Homicide Unit have been working around the clock to find the shooters, Delaney said.
Anyone with more information should call the Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355 or text-a-tip.
Antonio Gonzales, 38, the city’s seventh homicide victim, was murdered on Aug. 11, after he was shot on Bay Street outside a teenager’s birthday party. Joshua Pena, 16, has been charged with his murder.
Also on Aug. 11, a 26-year-old man was shot in the leg at a “youth party” in Old Hill and a 23-year-old man was shot in the ankle in a drive-by in the Forest Park neighborhood.
On Tuesday evening, two people were shot outside 110 Noel St., also in Forest Park. The man and woman survived gunshot wounds to the shoulder and leg, respectively.
On Wednesday afternoon, a 19-year-old man was shot in the leg near the intersection of Maple and High streets after an argument with another man.
The shootings remain under investigation.
Staff writer Stephanie Barry contributed to this story.