Between Saturday and Monday, two people were killed and six were injured during several separate shootings in Syracuse. All but one of those shootings occurred less than one mile from the others. The killings bring the number of homicides in Syracuse to 18 so far this year, according to the Syracuse Police Department.
There were 22 murders in Syracuse in 2015, the highest it has been in the last five years. Syracuse’s recent shootings in the past few days have mostly happened in one small area on the city’s south side. Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler announced the arrests of two men in connection to the killing of a 22-year-old man on Monday.
“We had witnesses come forward and share information," Fowler said. "We had officers who were already deployed, we made deployment adjustments because of the uptick in shots and shots with injuries.”
Fowler said the arrests happened quickly; he estimates it could have been 15 minutes after they received a shooting complaint. He said video surveillance helped.
"It was phenomenal in assisting us in the investigation," Fowler said.
That investigation in ongoing. The two men have been charged with second-degree murder.
Fowler said progress is being made investigating the other shootings, but they still need the public’s help.
“This summer is a very tough time when it comes to urban violence and Syracuse is not immune to that," Fowler said. "What I would say to the young people is that this is not normal.”
Fowler said it is still yet to be determined if the shootings are in any way connected. He said knowing a motive or reason for the shootings can allow officers to direct resources closer to the action to prevent further killings.
