Rochester Police are investigating two homicides that happened on Saturday night, one of which took the life of a 16-year-old girl.
Police said that incident happened about 10 p.m. Saturday. Officers were on routine patrol when they heard multiple gunshots fired. As they arrived on the scene, a call came in for someone shot on Emerson Street on the west side.
Officers found a 16-year-old girl who was shot in the upper body. She was pronounced dead at the scene. She was identified as Zahira Smith of Rochester.
Police said a second victim, an 18-year-old woman, suffered a gunshot wound to the lower body. She was taken to Strong Memorial with what are considered to be non-life-threatening injuries.
According to police, the preliminary investigation shows the victims were attending an invitation-only birthday party being held at an Airbnb on Emerson Street for another 16-year-old girl. Multiple gunshots were fired, according to police, from a vacant lot across the street and several of the gunshots struck the two victims.
Police said the two people who were shot do not appear to have been the intended victims. They say that after the initial gunshots, individuals on the south side of the street began firing shots toward the vacant lot.
Officers in the area who initially heard the gunshots being fired became involved in a foot chase with the people who are believed to have been engaged in the return fire. They arrested 18-year-old Ameer Andrews on weapons charges.
There are no suspects yet in the slaying of Smith, or the wounding of the 18-year-old, who has not yet been identified.
Rochester City School District Supt. Lesli Myers-Small issued a statement saying that she is “devastated that young lives continue to end abruptly because of gun violence,” and said that Rochester must come together as a community to “protect our children from these senseless acts.”
The district says its trauma, illness and grief team will be at the teen’s school on Monday to help students and staff.
The other homicide was reported to police about 8 p.m. on the northeast side near Siebert Place.
When police got there, they found the victim, 51-year-old Angel Alvalle of Rochester, with at least one gunshot wound to his torso. He was pronounced dead at Strong Memorial Hospital shortly after he arrived there.
There is no word yet of any suspect.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911, Crime Stoppers at 585-423-9300, Major Crimes at 585-428-7157 or email: MajorCrimes@cityofrochester.gov
