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Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh offers thoughts and prayers to family of 24 year-old Armory Square shooting victim. Incident, "Won't be tolerated in our city."

Mayor Ben Walsh addresses the media on Saturday afternoon following the Armory Square shooting the night before.
WSYR-TV livestream
Mayor Ben Walsh addresses the media on Saturday afternoon following the Armory Square shooting the night before.

Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh calls last night's shooting in Armory Square, "Brazen, stupid... and won't be tolerated in our city."

Mayor Ben Walsh addresses the media on Saturday afternoon following the Armory Square shooting the night before.
WSYR-TV livestream
Mayor Ben Walsh addresses the media on Saturday afternoon following the Armory Square shooting the night before.

Syracuse Police are investigating what led up to last night’s shooting in Armory square just 30 feet away where officer details were on hand for their usual monitoring of the area during the city’s nightlife. 5 people were shot and one victim, a 24 year-old Akok Lual eventually died according to police. The incident happened shortly after midnight. Officers nearby heard several shots fired in the 300 block of South Clinton Street. Now the search is on for the suspects. One person remains in critical condition and 3 people were left with non-life threatening injuries. Mayor Ben Walsh at a early afternoon press conference on Saturday offered his condolences to the young man’s family and offered his thoughts and prayers. He says the shooting, “will not be tolerated in the City of Syracuse.” He says officers couldn’t have been any closer to where the shooting happened and is deeply concerned about the mentality of the individuals involved.

“For these individuals to willingly get into a conflict in the middle of a crowd... police officers feet away and decide that it’s a good idea to pull out a gun and start shooting with no regard the safety of anyone around them; police officer, innocent bystanders out at a bar, a restaurant, having a good time. It’s CRAZY. You try to make sense of it and you can’t. It’s brazen, it’s senseless and it’s stupid.”

The Mayor adds he had heard from several people concerned about the shooting incident and he acknowledged he fully understands why.

“Everybody can relate to that (vicinity of shooting in Armory Square). Everybody has stood where this incident occurred and that touches a nerve in this community. It had shined a light on a problem that has been a problem for a long time here in the City of Syracuse, throughout other communities throughout the community. It is senseless.”

Walsh went on to say that it feels as though everyone has a gun now and innocent bystanders could be in any given place where two feuding individuals could come into contact with one anothere, there’s an instant risk involved. Even worse says says individuals who carry out gun violence, “have no regard to human life.” He says it’s just broken and will not be tolerated.

“I guarantee you that the individual who pulled the trigger last night will be caught. I guarantee you.”

Mayor Walsh credits the Police Department for having a great record of catching criminals who carry out crimes. He says gun violence in the city will not be tolerated not only in Armory Square but, anywhere in the City as public safety is the utmost importance to him. Chief Kenton Buckner says the Police Department has about an 80 percent clearance rate on homicide cases compared to a national average of 62 percent. He encouraged the public to stay engaged by trying to make a difference like 100 Black Men of Syracuse. Buckner says it’s also a matter of individuals making better decisions when conflict arises and how to appropriately handle it.

John Smith has been waking up WAER listeners for a long time as our Local Co-Host of Morning Edition with timely news and information, working alongside student Sportscasters from the Newhouse School.