HARRISBURG, Pa. — It was another deadly weekend in Harrisburg, as police recorded the city’s 12th homicide of the year.
“It’s concerning, and quite honestly it’s alarming," said Captain Terry Wealand of the Harrisburg Bureau of Police.
William Gonzalez, 51, was stabbed to death Sunday night around 9:00.
It happened in the area of Paxton and Nace Streets. An arrest is yet to be made.
“I’ve been here about 20 years and that’s the first time I’ve heard of something like that since I’ve been here, but the way things are going," said one man who lives in the neighborhood where the stabbing happened. He did not want to be identified.
Harrisburg police also responded to four gun-related calls between Saturday evening and Sunday night.
On Saturday evening around 5:45 p.m., police responded to a home in the 2000 block of Chesnut Street.
Officers found a 5-year-old boy with a gunshot wound on his hand. Police believe he was playing with a handgun in the house and shot himself.
No one has been charged, as the investigation is still unfolding. Dauphin County Children and Youth Services is also involved.
The child was taken to the hospital and is expected to be okay. One parent was home at the time of the incident.
On Saturday night, around 11:35 p.m., officers were called to the 700 block of N. 17th Street.
Detectives say Jan Perez, 30, of Lancaster, shot at another man and a woman. Neither of them were hit. Perez fled the scene and a warrant is now out for his arrest.
On Sunday morning around 1:30 a.m. a 37-year-old man was shot multiple times near the 1500 block of Vernon Street.
He’s expected to recover but no suspect has been identified.
Less than two hours later, a 49-year-old woman was shot at on the 200 block of N. 15th Street. Police say she was uninjured and there is no suspect in this case yet either.
“These shootings are getting more violent," said Captain Wealand. "If you can say, you know the term violent shooting but I’m talking where people are emptying magazines and we’re finding a bunch of shell casings laying around and stuff like that.
Police and community members say another concern is that many of the people committing these crimes are getting younger.
“They’re getting taught by older people, they’re following in their footsteps," said a neighbor who did not want to be identified. "You’ve got a large criminal element around here and they prey on the young, that’s what they do.”
On Friday, the Mayor's office announced it is forming a City-Parent Task Force. It will give parents a chance on a monthly basis to meet with Mayor Wanda Williams, as well as police and Harrisburg School District leaders and express concerns about violence and other issues impacting the city's youngest residents.
"I think it's a step in the right direction," said Captain Wealand.
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