Rochester Mayor Malik Evans gathered with other officials at City Hall for a news conference on Saturday to decry recent violence in the city, particularly the incident early Saturday morning where a 10-year-old girl was shot and wounded while sitting in a house on Moulson St. on the northeast side.
The girl suffered non-life threatening injuries, and Interim Police Chief David Smith revealed that the girl was braiding her grandmother’s hair at the time when gunfire struck the house. He said the girl was hit by the bullets four times in the chest. She was treated at Strong Memorial Hospital.
Smith said the investigation shows at least 20 gunshots were fired in the area of the home, and he said it was apparently a targeted act. Smith said police believe the intended target was a man who lives in the house but wasn’t home at the time. The chief describes him as a 32-year-old man who is on parole after convictions on charges that include assault, robbery, grand larceny and he said the man also has a history of weapons charges.
Smith said when RPD located the man he was not only uncooperative with responding officers, but he “attempted to dissuade the family members from cooperating with officers and to destroy evidence at the scene.”
Smith, the mayor and others at the news conference pleaded for people in the community to come forward with information about this, or other violent acts.
Evans said this shooting that injured a young girl especially hit home for him, since he has a son who is the same age.
And Evans said it’s hard to imagine the impact this incident will have on the girl and her family.
“How do you come back, you may come back physically, from being shot four times,” said Evans. “But it’s a lot harder to come back mentally. And to have to carry that trauma in your life to know that when you are in a place where you’re supposed to be safe, a safe haven. Grandma’s house was always a safe haven for many of us that are standing up here.”
Evan said he had already planned to release information about new efforts to combat violence even before Saturday’s shooting. He expects to have an announcement on Wednesday about actions the mayor said will address both “prevention and suppression.”
Anyone with information about the Saturday shooting, which happened at about 2:00 a.m. on Moulson St., is asked to call 911 or Crimestoppers 585-428-9300. There is also help available by calling 428-SAFE (7233) or by texting 314866.