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Connections
A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.
Connections

Community leaders address weekend violence in Rochester

By Evan Dawson,
Megan Mack
Published August 6, 2026 at 2:33 PM EDT
Three smiling people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a woman front left has long, red, wavy hair and is wearing glasses, gold hoop earrings, a long sleeved peach top, jeans, and tan sandals; a man back left has short black hair and is wearing glasses and a white shirt under a light blue suit coat; a man back right has short black hair and a mustache and is wearing a white collared shirt and blue tie under a grey suit coat
Marty Wash
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WXXI News
(foreground) Beatriz LeBron, (background) Jerome Ward, and Miguel Meléndez Jr. on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Thursday, August 6, 2026
WXXI News

What should local leaders do to prevent violence in the community?

Zahnia Barr, 14, and Shakara Green, 35, were killed last weekend in two separate incidents. In both cases, authorities say shots were fired into large groups of people.

We talk with community leaders about the tragedies and what it will take to stop future violence.

In studio:

Connections
Evan Dawson
Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
See stories by Evan Dawson
Megan Mack
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
See stories by Megan Mack