Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said there were three acts of gun violence on Friday alone, one of which resulted in a fatality on Henry Street.
The mayor said he spent an hour and a half with command staff following the violence. Usually this time of year, there is less gun violence. In the past, there has been a decrease in the fall around September and October but this year, they have seen the opposite.
Through May of this year, gun violence was flat, and in some neighborhoods, down. From June on, there was an uptick.
What police are seeing is that most gun violence seems to stem from personal disputes that have escalated quickly and are not gang-related.
Friday's fatality on Henry Street stemmed from a personal dispute and the victim was found in the rear of a driveway behind a house, police said.
While the mayor said there are more police on the streets in Hartford than in recent memory, there are still factors working against them.
"It’s hard to pinpoint with certainty the cause for this. A lot of cities around the country are seeing a spike and I think there’s no question, it’s the profound disruption of life of the coronavirus pandemic has got to play a role," Bronin said.
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Among the other factors Bronin cited is the fact that parole and probation supervision isn’t happening in person, which he said has had consequences.
Police don't believe there is any connection between the three shootings that occurred in Hartford on Friday.
