Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba released a video statement about the number of homicides in the city.
CORONAVIRUS AND CONFLICTS.
JACKSON POLICE SAY A MAN FOUNDSHOT TODEATH OUTSIDE OF CHURCH IS THECITY'S81ST HOMICIDE OF 2020."IT APPEARS THAT HE WASNBOTHERING ANYONE." SURVEILLANCEVIDEO CAPTURED A MAN FIRETWO SHOTS AT SOMETHING OFFCAMERA.MOMENTS LATER THE GUNMAN WEARINGAFACE MASK STUFFS THE WEAPON INTOHIPOCKET AND WALKS AWAY.INVESTIGATORS IDENTIFIED THESHOOTING VICTIM AS 61- YEAR-OLDELROY RANKIN."SOMEONE JUST WALKED UP AND JUSTOPEN FIRE I WOULD SAY ANINNOCENT MAN."THAT KILLING IS THE LATEST IN ASTRING OFVIOLENCE IN THIS WEEK WHICHPROMPTEDMAYOR CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA TOSPEAK OUTIN A VIDEO POSTED ON SOCIALMEDIA FRIDAY"THE RECENT SPIKE IN VIOLENCEWHERE FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARETURNING ANGER INTO VIOLENCE ANDHARMING EACH OTHER OR EVEN ASIX-YEAR-OLD CHILD IS ASHOOTING VICTIM ARE SIGNS THATOUR COMMUNITY IS IN CRISIS."THE MAYOR AND JPD BELIEVE THEIMPACT OFCORONAVIRUS ON JOBS AND MENTALHEALTH IHELPING TO DRIVE VIOLENCE.
"WELLYOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARECONFINED A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NOTWORKING THEY'RE OUT OF WORK ANDTHEY HAVE TO LOOK FOR WAYS OFPOSSIBLY TAKING CARE OF THFAMILIES OR FEEDING THEFAMILIES."POLICE SAY 45% ARE THE PEOPLEMURDERED THISYEAR WERE KILLED BY SOMEONE THEYKNEW"WE KNOW THAT IN THESE CASESPOLICE CAN ONLY MAKE ARRESTSAFTER THE HARM IS DONE WE ARECALLED TO DO MORE." THE MAYORSAYS HIS ADMINISTRATIOWORKING TO STRENGTHEN CRIMEPREVENTION AND PROVIDE SERVICESFORANYONE IN CRISIS."OUR GOAL IS TO WORK WITHEVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY FAITHLEADERS BUSINESS LEADERS THOSEWHO WORK WITH PEOPLE ICONFLICT AND ARE YOUTH EVERYONEBECAUSE IT WILL TAKE ALL OF USTOTURN THIS AROUND.
A SPOKESMAN SAYS THE MAYOR WILLUNVEIL A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN NEXTWEEK AIMED ATDEESCALATING CONFLICT BEFORE ITLEADS TOVIOLENCE.ROSS ADAMS 16 WAPT NEWS.
Jackson police are stepping up enforcement of the mayor’s executive order on crowd sizes.
