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A broad day, drive-by-shooting in the East Hills kills a baby & critically injuries two innocent women during a community picnic... This incident apparently follows numerous incidents of reported gun fire in the East Hills (therfore probably other East End neighborhoods as well) that didn't make the news. Baby killed, two women injured in East Hills shooting - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
This is just another one of the countless examples of how one demographic section of the East End celebrates, while another mourns. To tell the truth, for some people living in the East End, the quality of life is that of the city's favored quarter; although for others it's significantly different. Shoot, people really get two distinct persepctives of the easternmost neighborhoods of the city depending on a single street or a side of the MLK busway...
This story, while tragic, in no way invalidates the East End to me as a great place in which to reside. The fact that there are mentally ill individuals living amongst us who'd gun down a baby in broad daylight for kicks isn't reflective of a lackluster mayor; it is reflective of a systemic issue of apathetic parenting within a small sub-section of a particular minority group that doesn't value or respect life, along with a lack of funding at the state and Federal levels for social services that could better treat those with mental illness. Supposedly Mayor-Elect Peduto wants to help bridge the gap between the white and black communities in our city, and I'm going to hope he can help to do so. With that being said, though, the change required to stop this senseless violence can't come from the mayor's office. It needs to come from within these afflicted communities. I'll continue to celebrate this evening that EVERY elected city official I wanted to see elected today WAS indeed elected while also mourning for the senseless loss of a young child. Doing both simultaneously does not make one a monster.
You're right about the socioeconomic disparities. The East End houses millionaires and drug- or gang-related gun violence within blocks of each other and is one of the best illustrations of the rapidly widening gap between rich and poor not only in this city but in the nation in general. Mayor-Elect Peduto can facilitate community meetings with local activists and devote whatever city resources these activists deem appropriate to help combat violence, but in the end if a ghetto thug with no parental love or care wants to shoot a baby at a picnic (or a grandma at a youth football game or a tourist at Target), then there's no easy way to stop him other than banning guns in this country (good luck with that). People in Newtown, CT aren't blaming that town's mayor for what happened there just before Christmas last year. People in Aurora, CO aren't blaming that city's mayor for what happened there in a movie theater last year. People in Pittsburgh likewise shouldn't be blaming our city's mayor for what a mentally ill person did today as he opened fire on women and children at a picnic.
A broad day, drive-by-shooting in the East Hills kills a baby & critically injuries two innocent women during a community picnic... This incident apparently follows numerous incidents of reported gun fire in the East Hills (therfore probably other East End neighborhoods as well) that didn't make the news. Baby killed, two women injured in East Hills shooting - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
This is just another one of the countless examples of how one demographic section of the East End celebrates, while another mourns. To tell the truth, for some people living in the East End, the quality of life is that of the city's favored quarter; although for others it's significantly different. Shoot, people really get two distinct persepctives of the easternmost neighborhoods of the city depending on a single street or a side of the MLK busway...
People need to clean up their own neighborhoods. It isn't anyone else's responsibility. Sad a baby got killed this time around, but someone is getting killed daily, usually teens in the same areas. Nothing anyone can do about it if they aren't in those areas. If you are in those areas, do something about or move out. Simple as that.
What amazes me is these areas have been a problem for decades now and the response is always the same: arrest the troublemakers, apply some window dressing, move them around ... isn't there a long-term solution? Legalize drugs?
This is a much better long-term solution than any of the current "solutions" offered by our career politicians in this country. However, too many special interest groups make money off of the drug wars, and there still aren't enough people speaking out against this failed cronyism for it to reach critical mass for sweeping changes to happen. I still have hope that this level will be reached in the next few years, but I won't be holding my breath.
This story, while tragic, in no way invalidates the East End to me as a great place in which to reside...
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People need to clean up their own neighborhoods. It isn't anyone else's responsibility. Sad a baby got killed this time around, but someone is getting killed daily, usually teens in the same areas. Nothing anyone can do about it if they aren't in those areas. If you are in those areas, do something about or move out. Simple as that.
Now I wasn't trying to invalidate the East End or blame anyone, my point is just how it's almost a different world for people living in two different types of neighborhoods... So I totally agree with what yal are saying, and wasn't trying to say what you thought I said.
People in Pittsburgh likewise shouldn't be blaming our city's mayor for what a mentally ill person did today as he opened fire on women and children at a picnic.
While you have to be f**ked up to kill in general, there's no indication that mental illness was involved here. Just sounds like regular gang activity to me.
People need to clean up their own neighborhoods. It isn't anyone else's responsibility. Sad a baby got killed this time around, but someone is getting killed daily, usually teens in the same areas. Nothing anyone can do about it if they aren't in those areas. If you are in those areas, do something about or move out. Simple as that.
This is easier said than done. Sure, a 17 year-old who gets shot while having his own gun and or living the drug thug lifestyle probably had it coming sooner or later. A 1 year-old doesn't usually have the ability to do something about it or to move out. Many people are living hand to mouth and are also unable to just "move out."
Also, I've read in other places online that some people think that "the powers that be" benefit from letting neighborhoods like Homewood or East Hills or Lincoln-Lemmington rot into nothing. That's absolutely not true. If those areas could grow into solid middle income neighborhoods like they once were, people outside of there would benefit as well. The property tax base would grow (rising property values above 30k on average plus less vacant properties), the wage tax would be higher, the police force wouldn't be spread thin with the majority of their crimes in a zone being in just a small portion of the neighborhoods it serves, and schools would better if there were less kids from totally dysfunctional homes.
Fixing these neighborhoods is also easier said than done. There are enough people who are the problem and who don't care. As they go to prison or are murdered, others replace them. Neighbors either live in fear or turn a blind eye.
While you have to be f**ked up to kill in general, there's no indication that mental illness was involved here. Just sounds like regular gang activity to me.
Absolutely correct... I'm betting that the shooting was in direct connection with the East Hills Bloods and a rival street gang (probably from Homewood, Hazelwood or Wilkinsburg). If so, retaliation seems very probable...
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This is easier said than done. Sure, a 17 year-old who gets shot while having his own gun and or living the drug thug lifestyle probably had it coming sooner or later. A 1 year-old doesn't usually have the ability to do something about it or to move out. Many people are living hand to mouth and are also unable to just "move out."
Also, I've read in other places online that some people think that "the powers that be" benefit from letting neighborhoods like Homewood or East Hills or Lincoln-Lemmington rot into nothing. That's absolutely not true. If those areas could grow into solid middle income neighborhoods like they once were, people outside of there would benefit as well. The property tax base would grow (rising property values above 30k on average plus less vacant properties), the wage tax would be higher, the police force wouldn't be spread thin with the majority of their crimes in a zone being in just a small portion of the neighborhoods it serves, and schools would better if there were less kids from totally dysfunctional homes.
Fixing these neighborhoods is also easier said than done. There are enough people who are the problem and who don't care. As they go to prison or are murdered, others replace them. Neighbors either live in fear or turn a blind eye.
Your post was very right on...
In fact, the East Hills Apts are a prefect example of how difficult it truely is to turn a neighborhood around. From the early 90's, when influential members of LA/Compton/Inglewood's Bloods & Piru gangs relocated there, until the mid 2000's the East Hills neighborhood had one of the highest murder rates in Western PA... With most murders occurring in the apartment complex that was the predecessor to these Phase II East Hills Apartments. Even though these apartments are still among the city's top 10 most dangerous places, the area has gotten significantly safer since 6-7 years ago (when it was among the top 5). The complex has seen notable improvements due to it getting: completely remodeled, seeing increased police presence, adding security cameras, and most of all to the services done by local community groups. Some residents even testified against the East Hills Bloods in a FBI-lead gang bust last year... IMO the testifying was a definite sign that this area is no longer breeding ground for gang activity/crime/drugs like it once was, but it is still very much at rock bottom status (despite all the changes & work done).
Edit: Chanel 4 just had a good piece on how the complex made steps in the past and will continue to make steps to lessen gang activity in the East Hills Apartments...
Last edited by Uptown kid; 05-22-2013 at 04:12 PM..
While I am no fan of them in general, I wonder if strictly enforced curfew laws in these areas would have any positive effects?
They would definitely have some positive effects as a fair percent of gangmembers are under 18... Yet this would not have stopped this most recent drive by, broad daylight shooting that was likely commited by individuals over the ages of 20... Truth be told the act of curfew alone without heavy police presence wouldn't stop most shootings in general. However the curfew imposed would mean increased police presence, which would then notably slow down open air narcotics trafficking (but wouldn't hurt the gang too bad as they can always deal inside the buildings)... Places like the East Hills Apts have all had broad day shootings that killed innocent law-abiding or non-intended targets (including more recently the killing of an innocent 18yr in a duoble homicide on Crawford Avenue, Duquesne & a innocent 17yr old in the Hill District's Bedford Hills Apt complex) so curfew doesn't do that much, though it makes a small difference...
Also, I've read in other places online that some people think that "the powers that be" benefit from letting neighborhoods like Homewood or East Hills or Lincoln-Lemmington rot into nothing.
I think most people in Pittsburgh don't care in the least what happens to those areas with tons of violence. If buildings were just falling down, I really don't think any outsider would even be interested.
As for this shooting, the only reason people reacted is because a baby was killed this time around. People just glaze over when it is a teen, because that is about every day in the summer in the city. We are all used to it and just figure that is the way it has been and always will be in certain areas. I just tune it out anymore. There is no stopping these young guys from shooting each other. They must not have much to live for I guess. Who knows. One thing we do know is it will always happen and happen often. The police in Pittsburgh don't take responsibility for areas like they do in NYC. That is the difference. If the Pittsburgh Police started telling officers that the so and so block of this neighborhood is your responsibility, then I think in 10 years you would see progress, but I feel the police in our region don't have that kind of direction. That would take a great leader and I haven't seen that yet. Maybe they could hire one from NYC that knows the process out there better and implement it here? That would be a start.
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