Downtown Hartford was rocked by violence Saturday before dawn. Six people were shot in two separate incidents, now residents and nearby store owners are on edge.
Police say the two shootings happened less than a half hour apart. The first call police received was from inside Mansion on Ann Uccello Street. A man was shot in the abdomen, taken to the hospital and is expected to be okay.
Party goers meanwhile are still reeling from the shooting, asking for more police presence.
“Maybe night patrol, more security perhaps escorting people to their cars. That might be the answer to keeping the people in the community safe,” says a women who asked to be identified only as Monica.
The second shooting happened just a few blocks away on Union Place at Papa’s Pizza Restaurant.
Police say five people were shot inside of the pizzeria. One person, hit in the back, was seriously injured. Police tracked down and arrested the accused shooter, 21 year old Byron Taylor.
Store owners on that block say the violence is affecting their businesses.
“It obviously portrays a bad reputation about the kind of crowds that we have down here,” said Tyler Lynch who manages Bourbon Street next door to Papa’s.
Raymond Hermence works down the block from Papa's. He says the armed criminals are targeting the downtown area for money. “Its drugs, people don’t care about anybody else, they come here asking for money. I mean this is the third time this has happened.”
Papa's closed for the day after the shooting. Police continue to investigate both shootings. So far they have not made any arrests in connection with the shooting at Mansion.
