ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester police say the city's ongoing spike in violence escalated once again over the long Fourth of July weekend.
According to officials, one person is dead and three others are recovering from gunshot wounds following an incident early Tuesday morning.
Officers say they were called to the Baden Street Recreation Center's outdoor basketball court area around 2:45 a.m. for a report of a man shot. When they arrived, police say they encountered a crowd of about 200-300 people who had gathered in the park. According to officials, many people in the crowd were actively fighting when they got there, making it difficult to locate the victim.
Eventually, they say they found Willie Wofford, 24, of Rochester, near the edge of the basketball court suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body. However, police say the hostility of the crowd prevented the ambulance crew from reaching the victim. A patrol car had to be used to rescue the shooting victim and bring him to URMC, authorities say. Despite life-saving measures performed en route, police say Wofford was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.
As investigators were working to secure the scene, they say a man in his 30s came into Rochester General Hospital with a gunshot wound to his upper body. Shortly after, a woman in her 20s arrived at URMC suffering from a gunshot wound. Finally, around 4:30 a.m., a fourth shooting victim arrived at URMC. Police say all of them came via private vehicles and all three shooting survivors have non-life-threatening injuries.
The four total victims are all residents of the city of Rochester, officials say.
Police believe an altercation near the basketball court escalated and resulted in multiple gunshots being fired into the crowd.
The Major Crimes Unit is conducting an investigation and asking the hundreds of people at the party to provide further information.
There has been no word on any arrests made in connection with the incident.
Mayor Malik Evans released a statement on the weekend violence, and says that the RPD is being instructed to step up its enforcement of illegal gatherings to prevent future violent events:
I am deeply saddened but not surprised that the wave of unusually high levels of violence that swept the nation this weekend also swept through Rochester. From Friday, July 1 through Monday, July 4, there were 11 people shot on Rochester streets, including three who died from their injuries.
Once again my heart is broken for the victims, families and friends impacted by these tragic and senseless acts; and once again I am grateful to the men and women of the Rochester Police Department and our partners in law enforcement for their fast and incredibly courageous responses, which prevented further loss of life and injury.
I especially want to commend the officers on-scene at this morning’s shooting at Clinton-Baden Park, where more than 300 people attended an illegal, unsanctioned event and remained in a high state of agitation even after the officers arrived to help. In fact, some sought to further inflame the crowd and turn the violence against the officers themselves.
I have instructed the Rochester Police Department to step up its enforcement of illegal gatherings to prevent future events of this nature. I ask anyone who learns about the plans for an unsanctioned event through their own social networks to call 911 and tell us what you know. The life you save could be your own or that of someone you love.
Members of the City’s Pathways to Peace street outreach teams are also focusing their activities in this area to provide targeted community support. I urge anyone who was at this event, along with their friends and family members, to seek peaceful resolutions to any disputes that may be lingering in the aftermath of this violence. We must not perpetuate violence with more violence and bring continued tragedy to our children and families.
Once again, I want to extend my gratitude to our partner law enforcement agencies, including the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police, for their ongoing commitment to providing additional resources to help us bring an end to the pandemic-related, unprecedented levels of violent crime.
Finally, I want to extend my prayers, condolences and support to my fellow mayors and their citizens and police officers in the other cities who are dealing with their own horrific and tragic acts of weekend violence with the added element of hate, especially those in Highland Park, Ill and Philadelphia, Pa.
The common denominator on all of these incidents, whether pre-meditated or circumstantial, is illegal guns. I will continue to include my voice among the mayors and urban leaders calling for common-sense solutions to these very predictable challenges."
