Two more men killed in separate overnight shootings in Rochester
Two more people were shot and killed in separate incidents overnight on Rochester's west side, bringing the city's total to a record-setting 73 homicides in 2021.
A shootout in a parking lot outside P.I.'s Lounge, 495 West Ave at 11:45 p.m. Friday left one man dead and another man with life-threatening injuries, Rochester Police Capt. Frank Umbrino said.
Two hours later, outside the Black Bear Pub, 380 W. Ridge Road, a man was found with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body and pronounced dead.
The two homicides came just hours after Mayor Lovely Warren declared a local state of emergency to combat rising gun violence. The declaration cleared the way for the city to ask state officials for more resources, including more state troopers to assist in the U.S. Marshal-led fugitive task force and increased help for the Person in Crisis mental health response team.
More: ‘I've lost a lot of friends.’ Shootings involving teens rising at alarming rate
West Avenue homicide
Officers responded to the parking lot of P.I.'s Lounge for the report of a person shot. They found a man in his late 30s with at least one gunshot wound to his upper body, Umbrino said.
He was taken by ambulance to the University of Rochester Medical Center, where he is being treated for life-threatening injuries.
While at the West Avenue scene, officers received another call for a man shot in a vehicle on Day Place, which is roughly two miles away from the original scene. A man in his late 30s was found dead in the vehicle. Umbrino said he was also shot while in the rear parking lot at P.I.'s Loung.
Almost two dozen shots were fired during the shootout, Umbrino said. The first victim was standing in the parking lot when he was shot, while the second one was seated in the passenger seat of a vehicle. It's unclear if the victims knew each other or if they were the intended targets.
Umbrino said "several dozen people" were in the parking lot at the time of the shootout.
More: Warren declares local state of emergency, seeks more resources to combat gun violence
West Ridge Road homicide
Officers arrived at the Black Bear Pub, which is a few blocks east of Dewey Avenue, as the establishment was closing. They found a "large crowd gathered in the rear parking lot," Umbrino said.
They found a man in his 30s with multiple gunshot wounds in the parking lot. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Multiple people were in the area at the time of the shooting, Umbrino said.
There are no suspects in custody in either incident, Umbrino said.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911. Witnesses can also contact RPD's major crimes unit at (585) 428-7157 or by email at majorcrimes@cityofrochester.gov.
Rochester state of emergency declared
Warren issued the declaration to "ensure additional resources are brought to bear with one clear goal: removing violent offenders from our neighborhoods." In the order, Warren cited “unprecedented levels of gun violence” and said the city has “maximized use of local resources to address and reverse” the gun violence.
Through Nov. 8, there have been 360 people injured in 301 shootings in 2021, the order stated. Gun violence is up 95% this year, according to Warren. The increase mirrors similar trends nationally reported by USA Today using data compiled by the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive and other sources.
Interim Police Chief David Smith said Friday additional state troopers and Monroe County sheriff's deputies would be added to the U.S. Marshal-led fugitive task force. Smith said police had a list of 30 names, people they've deemed as "repeat violent offenders" and already have cause to arrest, ready to hand over to the task force. The hope is that those people will be arrested in the coming weeks.
Contact Will Cleveland at wcleveland@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @willcleveland13. Thanks to our subscribers for supporting quality local journalism. If you aren’t a subscriber, please consider a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester NY shootings kill 2, raises 2021 homicide total to 73
