Despite the Grand Rapids Police Department’s recent call on the community to put an end to gun violence, the city reported 11 more shootings over the weekend.
Early Sunday morning, police were called to the East Paris Hookah Lounge in Grand Rapids after a shootout left seven people in the hospital…
Four other shootings were confirmed Saturday evening as well…and on Friday…the city reported its 23rd homicide of the year…surpassing last year’s total of 17…and more than doubling 2018’s count of nine.
The weekend comes after Police Chief Eric Payne...in a recent press conference…expressed his anguish over the surge of gun violence in Grand Rapids.
“It’s not acceptable. It has to stop,” Payne said. “My message to those out there doing it is ‘we will hold you accountable.’ We will put whatever resources we have to catch those out there senselessly doing this; ……it’s frustrating.”
Meanwhile, Payne says the department has solved 80% of homicides so far this year…and on Tuesday, the GRPD will ask the Grand Rapids City Commission to approve a gun-buyback-program in an effort to get illegal firearms off the streets.
