After a deadly weekend, a community comes together to stop gun violence

After a bloody holiday weekend in Boston, civic and community leaders met to discuss strategy and effectiveness of city programs aimed at curbing violence.

Six fatal shootings in a span of almost as many days brings the total homicides for the city this year to 45.

"We have to recognize that someone is grieving the loss of their child, their husband, their family member. Someone’s preparing a lost one," said Mona Lisa Smith, a member of Mothers for Justice and Equality.

The holiday weekend started with the death of two men, including 22-year-old Gabriel Rodriguez in the area of Alexander and Bird streets.

Last Saturday, police arrested 21-year-old Kevin Williams and Brockton native Kai Harris for the shooting deaths of 67-year-old Jose Phinn-Williams, a Fabian Gas station attendant and the shooting death of Terrell White on Itasca Street in Mattapan roughly 12 hours later.

While Mayor Marty Walsh says the shootings are not connected, he emphasized civic leaders and the community need to work together to stop the violence.

“We are asking for help from the neighborhood and community for help and to try and reach out to these young people as well and explain their other options in life," Walsh said.

Walsh said he hopes places like the Vine Street Community Center will help, which reopened on Saturday in Roxbury.

"The onus isn’t solely on the police department, it is the village concept at hand," said Boston Police Commissioner William Gross.

Commissioner Gross pointed to city trauma teams and community programs through the district attorney and sheriff's offices.

"How do we target those 17, 18 year olds to 34, 35?" said Mayor Walsh. "We do a lot of focus on the younger kids with a lot of programming."

Early Thursday morning 19-year-old Marlon Richardson was killed on Vinson Street in Dorchester in the 45th homicide in the city this year.

Another fatal shooting in Dorchester the next day raised the number to 46.

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When asked how this weekend's response will be, Gross told elected officials and community organizers, "We've been out there all along, and yes, you're seeing more deployment and this."

"Hope is what is going to keep us strong in this fight for all," said Smith. "Hope is what’s gonna keep the guns off our streets."

Some community activists say the city need to consider more innovative solutions.

"Open the community centers late at night, not just during the summer," James W. Hills said. "Fridays and Saturday nights."

The group is using the hashtag #WeWantToKnow to pressure the mayor to provide them with more details on how resources are being used in the city to combat youth and retaliatory violence.

"Invest in atypical, intensive case management services," Hills said. “A lot of the young people that go into the community and feel like they only have the option to shoot they don’t go into the community center – they need targeted services that are dedicated just for them.”

Gross says there will be a stepped up police presence throughout the city and there was a specific security strategy in the Fenway Park area ahead of Saturday's game.

Cox Media Group