Mayor Gusciora Statement on Friday Shooting at Perry Street

Late last night a family was subjected to a horrific shooting that left three of them injured, including one of their children.

When I went to the hospital to visit the victims, I was grateful that no one lost their life. It’s unthinkable for children to endure such reckless, pointless violence at their age, especially in front of loved ones where they should feel the safest. The family was returning from a birthday party for a relative.

This gun violence needs to end and it’s unfortunate that it’s becoming a daily occurrence in cities across this nation. I am asking Director Coley to place every available resource on the streets to prevent a further escalation of violence this summer.

Fortunately, improved police intelligence work can now be conducted at the Real Time Crime Center, which enables better collaboration among the local, county and state law enforcement community. Crime prevention will occur in the long run as we more readily resolve such criminal acts and apprehend these violent offenders before they can strike again.

Our officers are working around the clock to find the suspect. But we are asking for the public’s help to lessen violence in our city. Only with the community working together can we prevent what occurred last night. Please call the anonymous TPD tip line at 609-989-DRUG if you have any information. Those tips have a tremendous impact and have already led to TPD seizing several guns and distribution quantities of narcotics before they hurt more Trentonians.