TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Two people are dead after a shooting Tuesday night that resulted in a car crashing into a wall. The two victims mark the fifth and sixth homicides just this month.
Police say it started with a road rage incident on March 4 -- and then more killings, on March 6, 7, 8 and 10.
"I can’t wrap my head around it. That's incredible. Terrible loss of life,” said Cliff Faber, who just moved to a neighborhood not far from the latest scene. “It’s concerning. You don’t want to see that happen where you live.”
Another violent crime happened in the garden district neighborhood just days ago.
“Apparently it started as a stabbing, but then the person doing the stabbing got bludgeoned to death. Is what we heard,” said Neighborhood Association President Lois Pawlak.
Pawlak says she’d like to see more preventative programs in her area but doesn’t blame Tucson Police for the unusually high homicide rate.
“They do what they can with their budget. But supporting departments might not be doing what they can to support the police,” said Pawlak.
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We asked the Tucson Police Department what’s behind the sudden rise in cases. A spokesperson said homicide rates can spike and drop through the year. He said a spike doesn’t constitute an ongoing trend. He sent a response that reads in part:
“Each of these is different and unique. No homicide is the same and homicides are unpredictable. Trying to determine when or if a homicide will occur is near impossible to do.”
Mayor Regina Romero also sent a statement:
"The increase in homicides is a national phenomena that has affected cities throughout our country, including Tucson. This is a complex issue with multiple causes, one of them being gun violence and access to firearms, with a large share of homicides resulting from shootings. An immediate step I am hoping Congress will take is passing the Bi-partisan Background Check Act, which is expected to be voted on later this week."
