Police in Rochester, New York, are investigating what they describe as one large, moving shooting incident that left eight people injured, seven by gunfire and one by stabbing, in the early hours of Sunday morning downtown.
The chaos began around 12:30 a.m. when officers heard multiple gunshots coming from a parking lot near East Avenue. Within moments, more shots rang out from around the corner on East Broad Street.
Investigators believe both scenes were connected and part of a single moving incident involving several different weapons. More than 50 rounds were fired in total.
On East Broad Street, officers found three shooting victims and one stabbing victim, all between the ages of 12 and 18.
On East Avenue, four more shooting victims turned up, ranging in age from 15 to 40. Everyone hurt is expected to survive, though three victims initially suffered life-threatening wounds.
Officers at the scene applied tourniquets, which police credit with saving lives before victims could even reach a hospital.
Officers Make Arrests, Recover Multiple Weapons
During the response, police stopped two vehicles tied to the shootings. At the East Avenue stop, officers used a drone to help track down a car and pulled two loaded handguns from inside.
Two men, 29-year-old Larry Dillon and 28-year-old Jadell Williams, now face criminal weapons possession charges. On East Broad Street, officers recovered a loaded ghost gun with an extended magazine from another vehicle, and a 17-year-old suspect was also charged with weapons possession.
Rochester Police Captain Greg Bello pointed to a troubling pattern behind the violence, saying groups of teenagers roaming through downtown have become a growing concern for the department, especially after a 12-year-old ended up among those shot.
Mayor Malik Evans released a statement Sunday saying he was thankful nobody was killed, while acknowledging that eight people ended up in emergency rooms after large crowds lingered downtown following the holiday fireworks.
He said he remains focused on getting illegal guns off the street and plans to keep the city’s gun violence state of emergency in place.
Monroe County District Attorney Brian Green also weighed in, noting that a separate shooting also occurred at a block party on Texas Street the same night. He said his office is working closely with police as the investigation continues and promised that anyone responsible would be held accountable.
A neighbor who spoke with reporters near the scene said the community needs more outlets and activities for young people, describing what he called misguided energy fueling the unrest.
Investigators are still reviewing surveillance footage from the area and trying to determine how the incidents unfolded and whether additional suspects were involved.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Rochester police or Crime Stoppers at 585-423-9300.
