TACOMA, Wash. — Investigators are working to solve a string of shootings in Tacoma over the past two weeks. Five shootings have been reported since Jan. 15.
The Tacoma Police Department stated that there hasn’t been a link found in these shootings, and no evidence so far points to them being drug or gang-related.
But some in the community are worried about the residual impact of this violence.
In just over two weeks, police have responded to reports in areas stretching from Central Tacoma to Salishan.
Community organizers like Candace Wesley feel that the increased violence is an unfortunate side effect of the hard times many Tacoma residents are struggling to endure.
“When you have community members that have been waiting on unemployment, waiting on stimulus checks, which are pennies, but those pennies can mean everything to a family, things are elevated, people get discouraged, they lose hope, they become desperate, and then they take on the mindset of I need to live by any means necessary,” Wesley said.
It's a stressful situation to experience on its own, but Wesley is worried that if the violence continues, the impact it could leave on some of the most vulnerable could be devastating.
“If you approach this through the lens of a child, when they see men that they’ve looked up to are gunned down in the street, and now being run over, I’m concerned,” Wesley said.
“Our children should feel safe, one thing, they can’t go outside, because of a pandemic, they can’t go to school, now they’re subject to more TV and social media, and what’s coming across the TV? Violence, crime, inner-city crime, police shooting, domestic violence," Wesley said. “It’s impacting our children gravely.”
The Tacoma Police Department has stated that detectives are actively working on the investigations surrounding the shootings and are encouraging anyone with information on any of the shootings to call Crime Stoppers or the Tacoma Police Department.