As City Sees 11th Homicide, Police, Mayor Vow To Curb Violence

NEW HAVEN, CT — Saturday, 20-year-old Bridgeport woman Mariyah Inthirath was shot and killed on Sheffield Avenue.

Three days later, at around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, a Waterbury man was gunned down near the intersection of George and Orange streets, in the shadow of Yale-New Haven Hospital’s Saint Raphael campus.

Tuesday afternoon, police and city officials gathered for a news conference outside police headquarters to address the recent uptick in gun violence in the city. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 11 homicides in New Haven. By contrast, in 2020, what was the deadliest year in nearly a decade saw 20 deaths from gun violence.

Acting New Haven Police Chief Renee Dominguez said the latest victim was Jack Hopeton, 44, of Waterbury, originally from New York with "family ties to New Haven." She then pleaded for the community's help to provide information that could help investigators "piece together" the shooting that led to Hopeton's death.

Saturday, Inthirath was shot and then “dropped off” in a private car at the hospital where she was pronounced dead. A family member said she was in the "wrong place at the wrong time."

Dominquez said the help of the community is needed to “stop the violence.”

Mayor Justin Elicker said the city is "going through a tough time.”

“Like any city, we’re seeing a significant uptick in violence,” he said. “The way we’re addressing it is many fold.”

Elicker said the city’s “strategy” to curb the gun violence is three-pronged: law enforcement, “violence interruption” and rehabilitation.

"The law enforcement is a combination of engagement with parole and probation, the creation of a shooting task force, and the increase in police presence, in particular, walking beat and bicycle patrol officers in the neighborhoods.”

The “shooting task force” was created to solve unsolved gun crimes. Police are also developing a “Crime Intel” center to help curb violent crime. Federal grant monies are earmarked for these programs, police said.

Elicker said that hundreds are released from prison and return home to New Haven annually, noting that rehabilitation is "critical for us addressing violence.

Myriad programs, but the violence continues

Dominquez said that also on Tuesday, a 20-year-old was shot in the leg.

On Monday, a 21-year-old was shot in the leg, she said.

Saturday was the fatal shooting of Inthirath.

And last Friday, a 24-year-old was also shot.

Dominguez said that while there's been a significant increase in gun violence in the city, she pointed to the police department's efforts, with community help, to seize seven guns in the last few days. She said that while earlier this year, the New Haven Police Department held a gun buy-back program which netted some $10,000 worth of firearms, "we are still seeing an increase in violence."

"But we are committed to decrease the violence, but need help from the community," she said.

Dominguez said that there are a number of successful programs underway to help in the effort including Project Safe Neighborhood, where a call-in Monday night led to 14 people asking for services and help. She said Project Longevity, a program focused on out reach to groups and gangs is lasted for early June. Both are geared toward people who are on probation and parole, and/or are involved in gangs.

Meanwhile, Elicker said that he goes to "every wake, speaks to every family," of gun violence victims even as gun violence is on the increase.

"The violence has to stop," he said.

Watch the full New Haven police and mayoral press conference on the uptick in homicides in the city here: