A 7-year-old girl was shot and killed in a drive-by Saturday night in South Bend, and city leaders are demanding a stop to the violence. In a news conference Monday afternoon, they offered both prayer and tough talk for people who are perpetrating violence.
“She has a loving mother and father and no parent should ever have to go through this tragedy,” said Councilman Canneth Lee.
Chrisyah Stephens was shot and killed at a birthday party.
Police are asking for any information from anyone who can help solve the murder.
Mayor James Mueller said people who commit violence should work with city leaders toward a better solution to their problems.
“We want them to have opportunities. We want them to succeed, and they need to come to the table with us to figure out how we can move forward better together,” said Mueller. “Our legal system may be imperfect, but it still offers a better path to justice than justice on the streets.”
Mueller acknowledged the improvement that South Bend needs to make, but said while those improvements are being made, the people of South Bend need to come together to make sure violence does not prevail.
“This 7-year-old girl, when, when, when , when is the last one gonna be the last one?” asked Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski. “Somebody else knew before something bad was gonna happen and they didn’t do anything to stop it. They didn’t get a hold of us. They didn’t get a hold of family. They didn’t get a hold of friends.”
Ruszkowski joined the mayor and other leaders in prayer for the family.
3 comments
Thank goodness! Loved ones call for end to violnence so it will end for sure. Why didn’t the Mayor think of that before. Im glad thats over now…
better then rioting and looting ..I hope they catch the monster(s). And I wish the cops or media would be a little more forthcoming . like was this child targeted.. where they shooting at someone else, was it a stray bullet ? Didn’t they put all those shot detectors and cameras in South Bend ? no pictures of the car ? no witnesses ?
The people committing the violence aren’t going to listen to “pleas” to stop it. Cold killers like these only understand FORCE.
More hollow pleas and defunding the police department ought to fix it though, and maybe some social workers too! Just follow the national narrative, Mrs Buttigeig.
That said, I do feel terrible for the family who had their little girl taken from them. I just wonder if they are going to keep voting Democrat this fall…