JAMESTOWN-Saturday night’s shooting at 533 East 5th St. is a clear indication that the city is experiencing a serious problem with gun violence that appears to only be getting worse.
According to documents obtained by WNY News Now, seven shootings have been reported this year which is just one shy of last year’s total with more than two months left in the year.
Our reporters submitted two separate Freedom of Information Act requests over a 30 day period. In those FOIA’s we specifically asked the Jamestown Police Department for the times, dates, and locations of all reported shootings from 2011-2017.
What we learned is that most of the gun violence has occurred east of the Chadakoin River with six of the shootings reported on the numbered streets.
The trend that may seem most worrisome to residents is that the total numbers of reported shootings between 2016-2017, including Saturday night’s incident, exceeds a four year total in the city from 2011-2015.
A release sent by the Jamestown Police Department indicates that Saturday night’s shooting was a result of a home invasion robbery.
To be fair, Jamestown is not alone in the rising number gun violence incidents.
A recent report published by the Federal Bureau of Invesitgation looking at national crime statistics indicates a nearly four percent increase in the estimated number of violent crimes in the reporting period between 2014-15.
The National Institute of Justice says the increase of violence nationwide is directly attributable to the market for illicit drugs which is governed by supply and demand. Growing demand for illicit drugs attracts more sellers into the market.
Disputes inevitably arise between sellers over customers and territory and between buyers and sellers over price, purity, quantity, and other terms of trade.
As for Saturday’s incident, Jamestown Police Captain Robert Samuelson told our reporters, “we’re looking for two males.”
Anyone who may have information on the suspects to this incident or their whereabouts, is asked to contact the Jamestown Police at 483-7537 or anonymous tips can be left on the departments anonymous tip line at 483-Tips (8477) or via the Tips 411 App.