HARTFORD, Conn. — Deadly gun violence in the capital city has a whole neighborhood on edge. The most recent incident took place in a thickly settled residential neighborhood of the Blue Hills section of the city.
Hartford Police executed a search warrant on the home Tuesday and were back canvassing the neighborhood Wednesday looking for potential video surveillance.
The city has logged four homicides in two weeks and two in a single night.
“The city has changed. The city got more violent,” remarked Donnell Mathis.
Mathis has lived in Hartford for 45 years, right across the street from 161 Westminster, where 46-year-old Leon Kelley and his brother, 47-year-old Charles Kelley, were shot dead just before 6 p.m. Tuesday.
“I just thought they got shot. Then later on I found out that they were dead. That was surprising,” explained Mathis.
The men didn’t live in the home. It’s still not clear why they were there, but Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin told FOX61 their deaths weren’t random.
“Our police have strong leads and to the best of their knowledge, everyone involved the shooter and victims alike knew each other well,” Bronin explained.
Hartford Police Sgt. Steven Austin told FOX61 one of the victims used to be associated with Project Longevity, a program aimed at reducing gun violence.
“Great individual. He’s a nice guy and right now I just want to give all my sincere prayers and condolences to his family,” said Austin.
The police sergeant is also the supervisor of the Hartford Police Department’s recruitment division. Part of making the streets a safer place is putting more cops on them – and the department is hiring.
"Were trying to add anywhere from 40-100 new officers if we can get them. It’s a very challenging time right now. Not just here in Connecticut but across the country," Austin said.
Hartford’s minority population stands at about 60%, although minorities only reflect about 30% of HPD’s ranks.
"That was one of the reasons that I did become a police officer. To be able to extend that hand to people who look like me and sound like me and help in that manner,” said Officer Victor Marquez on the importance of reflecting the community they serve.
At a time when so much violence is being perpetrated by young people, the youth of Hartford’s Youth Service Corps stepped to the microphone Wednesday with a message for troubled teens like they used to be.
“Take the right path because life. Life is only so long and so precious. Don’t waste your time doing nonsense,” said Jujuan Mojent of Hartford. “If you think that there’s not a way to get out of the hood, there’s a way, you just have to find it,” added Anthony Garcia.
On Wednesday, those young people and the non-profit, Our Piece of the Pie, got a nearly $1 million federal grant to expand job opportunities for at-risk youth.
So far this year, Hartford has logged seven homicides for the year. The mayor said that while homicides are up, shooting incidents are down.
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
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