Markeshia Ricks Photo
Pastor Charles H. Brewer and members of the newly formed The Joshua Generation Clergy Association.
As police continue to search for the killer of a 14-year-old boy, Newhallville ministers formed a new group to reach out to young people and Mayor Toni Harp appealed to citizens to help the cops solve gun crime.
Harp issued the appeal on the latest episode of WNHH radio’s “Dateline New Haven.”
She noted that in addition to the fatal July 16 shooting of 14-year-old Tyriek Keyes, a 13-year-old boy was shot in the leg on Saturday, also in the neighborhood, at Shelton Avenue and Ivy Street. The shootings do not appear to be related, Harp said.
“Newhallville is hot right now,” Harp said on the program. She called for stepped-up overtime patrols in the neighborhood.
She said that while police don’t yet know who killed Tyriek or why, it appears the murder may have stemmed from some kind of spat with kids from another part of New Haven. “Right around the time that shooting occurred, I’m told there was a shift change. There weren’t that many people around at that time. We’ve got to look at shift changes and see why that happens,” Harp said.
But more than any other factor, the most important cause of death here was a gun, she argued. She called on New Haveners to take responsibility for helping to get guns off the street.
“The real problem is guns in our community,” Harp said. “… We have got to get the guns out of the hands of the children.”
Contributed photo
Tyriek Keyes.
“When you see something, say something to the police. We define for ourselves what our community is going to be like. If we allow these folks with guns, no matter their age, to run roughshod over us, that that is what they are going to do. They are going to terrorize us,” Harp continued.
“Let them know, ‘If you come into our neighborhood and do something, we are going to let the police know. We are going to testify against you.’”
Police spokesman Officer David Hartman echoed Harp’s appeal for the public to come forward with information.
“Every person who gets shot in this country — somebody knows who did it,” Hartman said in a conversation Monday. “Give us a lead. Let us work the case. This is community stuff as well as police stuff. We want to know. Give us a starting point.” People with information about crimes can call detectives at (203) 946‑6304.
Hartman said the police do not yet have a suspect or “person of interest” in the investigation.
As the community’s concern has grown, the police chief, Anthony Campbell, and Assistant Chiefs Luiz Casanova and Otoniel Reyes have been out of town (in Boston and in Quantico, Virginia) for training. That has left Assistant Chief Achilles “Archie” Generoso as the face of the department in town.
Campbell did release quotes in a press release issued Monday by Hartman.
The release quoted Campbell as saying: “As a result of these recent shootings the New Haven Police Department has deployed multiple additional resources to the areas which are being affected by this violence. Although this may help reduce the probability of additional shootings, it is imperative that the community step up and work with Police to bring justice to the victims of these horrible incidents. Now is the time for the community to take charge and to join us at the NHPD in a way that it has not done before. This violence must stop immediately.”
The release included a chart showing that violence continues to drop throughout the city, including in Newhallville. (The number of shots fired for a while went up because of increased use of ShotSpotter technology that recorded more gunshots.) Keyes’ was the first murder in Newhallville so far this year; the neighborhood had had three at this point last year.
The neighborhood is getting a new district manager: newly promoted Lt. Renee Dominguez.
Meanwhile, a group of young pastors of local churches announced the formation of an association that they hope can address the gun violence that has taken the life of a 14-year-old, and seen a 13-year-old shot in the leg.
The group is called The Johsua Generation Clergy Association and its members gathered together at New Trinity Temple COGIC on Dixwell Avenue Monday to announce that their members will be opening the doors of their church for mentoring and community involvement to stop more young people from being killed.
“You don’t need another preacher telling that there is a problem,” Pastor Charles Henry Brewer III said during the press conference. “We all realize that.”
Brewer, who acted as the spokesman for the group Monday, said that it is imperative that the community come together to stop the violence and the pastors are offering their churches as safe havens where young people and their families can access services that address their mental and emotional needs. He said that the churches and their leaders are offering spiritual and daily guidance to deal with the trauma of these violent events. They also are encouraging anyone with information about the shooting death of Tyriek B. Keyes to come forward and help catch anyone responsible for the crime.
The group has already started a dialogue with Police Chief Anthony Campbell and two of his assistant chiefs to figure out ways to help stem the violence. The group is “advised” by the Rev. Boise Kimber, an influential member of the Greater New Haven Clergy Association.
The Joshua group also is opening the doors of the associated churches to other community groups to be in partnership with them.
“There is much to pray for — much we must do as a group of young leaders,” Brewer said. “And we don’t want to talk about it, but we want to be about it.”
Click on or download the above audio file to hear the above audio file to hear the full episode of WNHH’s “Mayor Monday,” which includes discussion of the sanctuary shelter of an immigrant in a Fair Haven church, whether zoning rules should be changed to allow 300-square-foot apartments, and tech advances in the city.
This episode of “Mayor Monday” was made possible with the support of Gateway Community College and Berchem, Moses & Devlin, P.C.