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RPD Continues To Look For Suspects In State Street Shooting

Randy Gorbman
/
WXXI News

Rochester Police Chief Michael Ciminelli says "any mass violence is too much" when asked about another shooting in the city that injured or killed multiple people.

He spoke to reporters Sunday afternoon about the incident on State Street early Sunday. At about 2:00 a.m., officers were called to Mexican Village, a bar at 547 State Street. There were a total of 8 victims, including one fatality, a 29 year old city man pronounced dead at the scene.

Ciminelli says another victim, a 26 year old man is in guarded condition in the hospital. The other victims suffered non-life threatening injuries.  Strong Hospital does list a second victim as also being in guarded condition with two others in satisfactory condition. Another victim was taken by private car to Rochester General. The chief says all the victims range in age between 21 and 30.

Ciminelli says this situation apparently involved a dispute that started inside the bar and then moved outside. He says it appears to be a specific situation and says there is no reason to believe the general public is in danger related to whomever was involved in this shooting.

Police say there were more than 40 people at the scene of the shooting, and police are going through the process of interviewing them. Ciminelli did not comment on whether police have any persons of interest at this time. He says police have had calls to that location in the past.

Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren issued a statement about the shooting, saying that, “Yet again, someone in Rochester reached for a gun to resolve a conflict. And yet again, another life is lost, innocent people are injured, families are devastated and our entire city is suffering. Yet again, one senseless act makes us ask: Why?

Why is it that some people can only use violence to cope with a situation? Why is a gun the tool of choice to settle a dispute that certainly cannot be worth the cost of so much suffering?

We know the answers to these questions are buried deep in a myriad of issues we are trying to resolve. But none of those issues – not one – offers an excuse for an action like this. As we strive to make our city better, all of our efforts begin with a love and appreciation for human life and the knowledge that every man, woman and child has a right to reach their full potential. We cannot and will not tolerate this level of depravity and wanton disregard for human life.

My heart aches for the friends and families of the victims, and I ask our entire city to join me as we keep them in our thoughts and prayers. “

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.