Gun violence on the rise over bloody weekend in the Queen City
This weekend, Cincinnati, Ohio becomes the latest city to join a grim list – that of those who are adversely impacted by increasing gun violence in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
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As reported by Cincinnati.com, 18 people were shot over a deadly weekend with four believed dead. Although Cincinnati has had its problems with gun violence in the past, the uptick in gun violence may be related to the coronavirus pandemic that took hold in March.
The loss of jobs, the resulting strain on families, and the uncertainty of the future may have placed additional stress on already struggling communities.
A local pastor says more needs to be done to curtail the looming pandemic on both fronts.
“More importantly, call this for what it really is, a public health crisis,” Rev. Ennis Tait, pastor of New Beginnings of the Living God church in Avondale told Cincinatti.com. “Black, white, rich, poor, urban, suburban, preachers, police and politicians. It’s going to take us working together to get to the root cause of this problem in our city.”
The first set of three victims were shot around midnight on Lincoln and Gilbert Aves. The second wave was when four people were shot just an hour later on Chalfonte Ave. in Avondale. Another ten people were shot at McMicken and Lange Streets around the same time, with two known fatalities. Hours later, another shooting at Liberty and Linn Streets resulted in another death.
“One extremely violent night in the city of Cincinnati. Looking at possibly 17 victims, up to four that could be fatal at this time. Why? That’s going to be the question,” Asst. Chief Paul Neudigate told WLTW.
“Not that we have any information that they’re tied together. These all seem to be separate independent incidents but horrific and tragic that we have this much violence and potential for that much loss of life in our city.”
According to WLTW news reports, there have already been 60 homicides so far this year. According to Cincinatti.com, gun violence in the city of 500,000, boasting an almost equal population of Black and white residents, has increased by almost 65% in the last year. The average person killed is a 33-year-old Black male.
“Each of those lives matter and the majority of those who have lost their lives this year, last year and the year before that are African American,” Christopher Smitherman, chair of the city’s law and public safety committee told Cincinatti.com. “It’s unfortunate to say it is at the hands of other African Americans.”
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The increasing gun violence in Cincinnati reflects that of other cities like Chicago, New York City, and Philadelphia, all who have seen shootings both fatal and otherwise increase over the summer.
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