Rochester Mass Shooting Adds To Unrest In Upstate New York

A mass shooting at an illegal party in Rochester, New York early Saturday morning ended with two people dead and at least 14 people injured, underscoring more of the tensions in the upstate city, which was also rocked by protests after footage surfaced showing Daniel Prude’s death.

According to The Hill, the shooting occurred shortly after midnight at an outdoor backyard party. It is unclear what led to the shooting and no suspects have been apprehended. Approximately 100 people were fleeing the scene when officers arrived.

Interim Police Chief Mark Simmons confirmed at a press conference that with the exceptions of the two who were killed—described as one man and one woman believed to be between the ages of 18 and 22—nothing else is life-threatening. Simmons also noted that he had never seen a crime as serious as the shooting during his 18-year tenure on the force.

The shooting occurred mere weeks after unrest began in the city following the release of footage that showed the death of Daniel Prude, a 41-year-old black man, while in police custody. Prude, a Chicago native who had been visiting his brother and suffering what was called a “mental health crisis,” died of asphyxiation after officers used a “spit hood” and held him down on the ground while handcuffed as they took him into custody.

Protests later broke out in the city due to the release, and the Chief of Police, La’Ron Singletary, was fired due to the incident two weeks prior to his retirement by Mayor Lovely Warren.

As for the shooting, the party where it took place was unsanctioned and violated laws in New York that bar large gatherings due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, though the party had not been reported prior to the incident. Currently, New York State has restrictions limiting social gatherings to 50 people or less.