The 19th year of the 3rd millennium began with revelry, reverence and an almost immediate succession of gun violence.
HuffPost collected multiple reports from across the U.S. about fatal shootings that occurred Tuesday as Father Time passed on his duties to the Baby New Year. It is by no means a comprehensive list. It’s a snapshot of violence and a reminder that despite the touting of political agendas heavy on combating gun violence, bullets continue to spill blood and claim lives.
PHILADELPHIA
The City of Brotherly Love recorded its first homicide of 2019 about 12 minutes after midnight.
According to police, the shooting happened in the 3200 block of Tampa Street. The victim, who has not yet been identified, died of a single gunshot wound to the head.
No suspects in the case have been named. Police said they are reviewing surveillance videos for possible leads.
The city had 351 homicides in 2018 — the most since 2007, Philadelphia’s WPVI-TV reported.
CLEVELAND
Details remain sketchy, but police said three people were killed during a shooting around 12 a.m. Tuesday.
The shooting happened in Cleveland’s Brooklyn Centre neighborhood. Two of the victims were found dead at the scene. The third was pronounced dead on arrival at an area hospital, police said.
Authorities have not released any additional information.
GONZALES, LOUISIANA
A dispute involving three men reportedly resulted in a fatal shooting and a hit and run around 12:30 a.m.
According to the Gonzales Police Department, three people were arguing at a home on Darla Avenue when 19-year-old Jose Artunez was fatally shot by 21-year-old Adrien Iiborio, of Prairieville.
Iiborio allegedly shot Artunez four times and then ran over someone with a car before fleeing on foot. The hit-and-run victim was taken to an area hospital. His condition is not yet known.
Police captured Iiborio at about 5 a.m. He was booked into the Ascension Parish Jail on charges of second-degree homicide and attempted second-degree homicide, WAFB News in Baton Rouge reported.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
The most populous city in North Carolina made it approximately three hours into the New Year before recording its first homicide.
According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, officers discovered the victim’s body on the porch of a Highlander Court residence.
Authorities have not yet identified the victim or named a suspect in the shooting.
“We’re still in the early stages of the investigation, there’s a tremendous amount of evidence on the scene,” Maj. Mike Smathers told Charlotte’s WCNC-TV.
MILWAUKEE
The largest city in Wisconsin saw its first homicide victim of the new year shortly before 3 a.m. Tuesday.
Milwaukee police said a 37-year-old man was fatally shot near North 5th Street and West Keefe Avenue. Two other gunshot victims — a 40-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman — were later dropped off at an area hospital. Both are hospitalized in critical condition, police said.
Authorities suspect the three shootings are connected. They are searching for a man wearing dark clothing, Milwaukee’s WISN-TV reported.
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY
Louisville’s first known homicide of the year happened around 3:15 a.m. in the city’s Parkland neighborhood.
The victim, according to the Louisville Metro Police Department, is a black man; no further details have been released.
NEW YORK CITY
Brooklyn, the most populous borough of New York City, saw a gunshot slaying around 4:30 a.m.
The victim, a 29-year-old man whose identity has not yet been released, was found shot in the chest in the hallway of a Stanley Avenue building, police said.
The victim was pronounced dead at Brookdale University Hospital. No suspects have been named in connection with the shooting.
ROCHESTER, NEW YORK
A double shooting at about 5 a.m. resulted in the death of one person and the wounding of another.
Authorities discovered the victims after they were dispatched to investigate a reported shooting on Stout Street in northeastern Rochester. The victims have been identified as a man and a woman.
The male victim, whose name and age have not been released, was fatally shot in the upper body. The other victim, identified only as a 29-year-old woman, was also shot, police said.
The woman was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The Rochester Police Department said her injuries are not considered life-threatening, the Democrat and Chronicle reported.
The circumstances of the shootings are under investigation.
COLUMBUS, GEORGIA
Columbus saw its first known homicide of 2019 around 5 a.m. Tuesday, when 51-year-old Alphonso Walker Jr. was fatally shot after a dispute at the Hannah Heights Apartments.
Police took one person into custody at the scene, according to WRBL News in Columbus.
No additional details were available.
COLUMBUS, OHIO
Police in Columbus said the city recorded its first homicide of 2019 just before 6:30 a.m. Tuesday.
The victim, who has not been identified, was found shot in the 5500 block of Leigh Run Court. The victim was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police said the suspected shooter is a male. No additional information was released.
TO BE CONTINUED ...
