Hartford Police are investigating three fatal shootings since Tuesday morning and Mayor Pedro Segarra said more police will be deployed for the foreseeable future.
Two people were shot near Farmington and Evergreen avenues in the West End just before 10 p.m. on Wednesday, according to police.
One victim, Jerome Copeland, 22, has died, police said.
Evelyn Dukes said Copeland was a dad.
"He was a young father, struggling, trying to make ends meet," she said. "But nobody deserves to get killed like that."
The second victim's condition is unknown, but his injuries do not appear to be life-threatening, police said.
Five hours earlier, officers responded to a homicide at Harrison Place just after 5 p.m. There they found 26-year-old Steven Riley shot to death inside a running car.
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Investigators believe Riley had been inside the vehicle for several hours.
This followed more violence in the city of Hartford earlier in the week.
On Tuesday morning, Valentine Santos, 22, was found shot to death on Linnmoore Street.
Police said they found his body in a yard the morning after residents called police to report hearing several gunshots.
Police have acknowledged that they might have missed the victim when they initially responded to reports of gunfire.
On Tuesday night, officers found a 25-year-old man shot in the face Chaplin Place. He is in stable condition, police said.
The recent shootings remain under investigation.
Residents, meanwhile, want an increased police presence, with more officers patrolling the streets and Mayor Segarra said they will happen.
“The recent shootings have been tragic for the families and for our entire community. One shooting is one too many. The Hartford Police Department will immediately deploy additional officers in our neighborhoods and that presence will continue for the foreseeable future. The safety of our residents is our number one priority. We are working with our community partners and will use every single resource necessary to keep our neighborhoods safe,” Segarra said in a statement.
Dukes said she and her children heard the gunfire.
"My kids say they heard about eight shots," Dukes said. "They need to patrol the area more because there's kids out here."
The person killed last night is the 16th homicide victim in Hartford this year.
