Rochester NY shooting: 3 killed in drive-by ID'd
Three people killed in a drive-by shooting outside the Boys and Girls Club on Genesee Street Wednesday night have been identified.
Jonah Barley, Raekwon Manigault and Johnny Johnson were fatally shot, according to sources.
Four others were wounded in the attack after a basketball game in the parking lot of the club at 500 Genesee St.
"A car drove by and at least one of the occupants in the car fired shots from the car into the crowd that had gathered after a basketball game at the Boys and Girls Club," Rochester Police Chief Michael Ciminelli said.
"Police are trying to process what happened here last night," said Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren. "Somebody made a decision last night that they were going to end some lives. That person that made that decision, we are going to bring them to justice."
Police responded to the scene at 11:19 p.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls. One other victim died at the scene; another died at Strong Memorial Hospital.
Ciminelli said that there was no problem at the Boys and Girls Club. The problem did not seem to stem from the basketball game, he said. "It is still subject to change," he said.
The four others who were wounded are all males and all city residents. They range in ages from 20 to 29. According to RPD Capt. Michael Callari, medical personnel don't believe that any of their wounds are life-threatening.
Three of the males were transported to Strong Memorial Hospital by private vehicle. One was taken to Strong by Rural/Metro Medical Services.
"We have a very active investigation going," Ciminelli said. "We are bringing every resource that we have to bear on this. We will run this down and find out who did this. This was an outrageous act. We intend to find out who did it and bring them to justice."
Doug Ackley, the director of Rochester programs for the Center for Teen Empowerment on Genesee Street, said 19-year-old Raekwon Manigault worked with him in his program for the past few months.
"Rae was a sweet guy, we've known him for years and we loved him, he was part of our group," Ackley said.
Manigault had been meeting almost daily with other staff and employees working on upcoming projects.
He had told Ackley when he applied for the job that he wanted to work for Teen Empowerment because "it was time to make some changes in his life."
Ackley said Manigault was well-known and well-liked in the youth community and he had seen nothing recently that would have indicated Manigault would get caught up in the shooting Wednesday.
"We had just been talking to him about continuing to work in the right direction, being part of the next (Teen Empowerment) group and use his voice and his own past experience to save other people's lives and change lives," Ackley said.
Capt. Lynde Johnston, who heads the major crimes unit, said he doesn't recall a shooting in the city with seven victims — counting the wounded and deceased — for the decades he has been on the force.
"I don't remember one, and that's searching 50 years," he said.
A shooting spree of similar scope occurred in a crowded Gates bar on April 25, however, leaving one man dead and six other bar patrons wounded.
David Alligood, 31, of Greece, has been charged with opening fire in the Gates Pub shortly before last call on a Saturday morning, killing his apparent intended target, Ricky C. Jones of Rochester. Bullets from Alligood's handgun also struck six other people, police said at the time. Alligood is awaiting trial.
In the warm, muggy early morning hours, hundreds of people milled about the street, some weeping, hugging and talking with neighbors in the aftermath of the violence. Others could be seen weeping into the arms of family members, some unable to bear the weight of what had happened.
Michael Cotton, Rochester resident, said he knew one of the deceased. " He added, "Of course, it hurts. That's somebody that I speak to on a daily basis. That's going to affect me for a little while. This is not my first one. It's kind of ridiculous now. You see how many people are out here. I'm sure the people that did see something aren't going to talk or anything, because they're just too loyal.
"I really don't know how I feel about this situation. I don't think it's really hit me yet. Right now, just looking at everything, all the lights, all the cops, all you guys reporting, it's just a shock, because I've been in this area for a while and seven people getting shot, that's close to a massacre. Seriously. We have to do better. We do as people, we have to do better. We have to do much better."
Toni Nelson of Rochester went to the scene of the shooting after hearing it on the news. She said her son was the victim of violence, too.
"I don't know any of them but I care … it's my neighborhood," she said. "This is terrorism on our streets."
The Rev. Lewis W. Stewart, president of the United Christian Leadership Ministry of Western New York, said schools must do a better job at teaching emphasis on non-violence, anti-bullying and respect for lives.
“Black lives must matter not just when law enforcement officers take a life, but when another black person takes a life,” he said.
Stewart said his group will host a prayer vigil at 6:30 p.m. Friday in front of the Boys and Girls Club.
“Many folks don’t want to speak about it, but there’s a gang on Jay Street, there’s a gang around here, so we do have a gang problem and that was more than likely some sort of gang initiation tact that was used," Stewart said.
Some shots hit walls and windows at the Jordan Health Center, 480 Genesee St., next to the Boys and Girls Club. Jordan Health officials issued a statement about the tragedy: "The Jordan Health family shares in the grief of the families of the victims of last night's shooting. This is a tragedy not just for the families who have suffered loss, but for the entire community around our Woodward Center."
"Our immediate focus is on our patients and staff who also are affected by this tragedy. We are rescheduling patients who have appointments this morning to other locations, and hope to be able to see our patients this afternoon."
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families," the statement said.