Six shootings have been reported in less than a week in the city of Dayton.
The latest happened Wednesday morning, June 26, at a downtown apartment complex on Park Manor Drive. One person is hospitalized with injuries that are not believed to be life threatening. In the earlier shootings, two people died.
"I'm angry and disappointed and saddened by the fact that we have this type of violence here in the city of Dayton," Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims, Jr. said.
Mims and other city leaders are urging residents to speak up. He was joined by Assistant Police Chief Eric Henderson, Assistant city manager Joe Parlette and Commissioner Darryl Fairchild at a press conference in calling for an end to the gun violence, that's injured about 16 people including an 11-year-old.
"So just in a 72-hour period from Saturday morning through Monday evening, there were five shooting incidents with 16 people shot, two deceased, and one is still fighting for their life," Assistant Police Chief Henderson said.
Mims said the city is working with the police, several community groups and schools to combat gun violence.
"We've asked the schools to reengage with conflict resolution programs, using the mediation center and other volunteers that we have across the city to, again, give young people the type of tools that they need to learn how to identify and resolve conflict at its lowest level," Mims said. "These are lifelong skills we want to get more and more of saturated throughout this community."
City leaders asked residents to report any information they have connected to the recent shootings by callingial 937-333-COPS or call Crime Stoppers at 937-222-7867.
