Harrisburg, PA — Update: Despite the latest spat of violence, Harrisburg city leaders are vowing to continue the fight. However, the mayor and police commissioner are pleading with the public for help. A violent weekend, with four separate gun incidents leading to three people dead and four others shot, in just 48 hours.
“Change needs to happen,” said Mayor Wanda Williams, (D) Harrisburg.
Changing the culture in the Capital city. With gun violence on the rise, Harrisburg leaders and community members are looking for answers.
“I am angry. I am frustrated,” said concerned citizen Joyce Vanderhorst Gamble.
Since the beginning of the year, Harrisburg Police have been fighting a spike in crime. Statistically, both homicides and shootings are up nearly double from the same time last year.
“The violence will not stop until every responsible person in the city takes an active role,” said Harrisburg Police Commissioner Thomas Carter.
“It's fear. It's fear. We are all a family. We all need to start working together,” Gamble said.
A violent weekend ended Sunday with the shooting deaths of two people inside of 28 South 16th Street. Two victims, now identified as 35-year-old Shawn Hairston and 42-year-old Ana Scott, who lived at the home described as a boarding house, were gunned down by an unknown suspect.
“The person who did this, we will find you and you will be held accountable for this brutal act of violence,” said Mayor Williams.
Despite constant collaboration with the county, state and feds leading to the seizure of hundreds of guns over the past years, the city continues to struggle to get a handle on the violence.
“It's just ridiculous. It's just senseless. It's an issue that is facing the whole country right now,” said Commissioner Carter.
“Do you feel safe living in this city?” asked Gorsegner.
“To a certain extent. I stay alert. If I see something, something is going wrong, I try to report it or I try to move away from it,” Gamble said.
“Our best days are ahead of us. It won't always be easy but the greatest accomplishments never are,” Mayor Williams said.
As far as any type of suspects in the double homicide, police are gathering leads but so far no arrests. Despite the violence being spread throughout the city, investigators believe each of the victims from this weekend were targeted. In many cases, it looks like a beef or someone looking for street justice that appears to be leading to the gunfire.
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Harrisburg Detectives continue to search for the suspect responsible for a double homicide on Sunday afternoon. Now, authorities are releasing the names of the victims and shedding some light on the details.
Shawn Hairston, 35 years-old, and Ana Scott, 42 years-old, were shot and killed inside of 28 South 16th Street around 4:30 p.m. By the time officers arrived on scene, Scott, who lived at the residence was dead. Hairston was taken to the hospital where he succumb to his injuries.
Right now, police are not releasing the motive behind the shooting other than to say that they believe it was a "targeted" event.
Sunday's double homicide caps off a violent weekend in the city that saw four incidents resulting in three deaths and four other people shot in the Capital City.
Coming up on CBS21 News at 5 p.m., how the city is reacting to the latest spat of violence and the disturbing trend that is worrying the city's top brass.
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The search is on for the suspect in a double homicide in the City of Harrisburg. Officers were called to a house in the first block of South 16th Street at 4:40 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
When first responders entered the residence, they found a man and woman shot to death.
The identities of the victims have not been released.
On the scene, crime scene units along with detectives are working to gather evidence and track down any suspects.
Just before 8 p.m., the Dauphin County Coroner took the bodies of the two victims from the scene.
Despite the search for suspects, Harrisburg Police Commissioner Tom Carter believes this is a targeted shooting and says the public is not in danger.
Police and Mayor Wanda Williams are planning a news conference at noon tomorrow to discuss the violence.
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